Destiny's Threads of Fate
by Riku of Darkness
Summary: DToF Remastered! Riku has a tough decision to make, and despite his determination to defy fate, there are some things that cannot be re-written. Sora is losing his happy-go-lucky nature, his heart burdened with the strain of being the "Keyblade Master".
1. Where's Sora?

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Where's Sora?**

The rain came down, covering the 'world' in darkness. Through the mist, there came a hooded figure. He seemed lost, yet found; almost out of place. Focused on his objective, the figure continued through the storm. A black bandanna covered his eyes, yet he walked with complete precision. His lips bore a line of impatience, but the gesture betrayed a level of persistence and determination.

Without pause or indication from the world around him, he stopped and turned his head to the left. A peculiar wind stirred, raising the chill of the rain to whip up from the asphalt. A strange shadow began to rise through the edges of several puddles, at first just a small, flat blob, then soon, the shape of a familiar creature. It seemed insect-like, its movements, its eyes, its antennae. The eyes were quite different, but equally disturbing as before; the oval golden glow burning with emotionless intensity. They were bigger than the Shadows, their limbs willowy, claws sharper and their skulls lined with veins.

The hooded figure slowly looked around, his head slowly lolling to each side with an edge of boredom. He'd fought so many of the creatures in the city that the game no longer distracted him; the day before, he had dove off the skyscraper with a tendril of them in pursuit to try and keep himself from becoming angry at the obstacle of continually being hunted. He was trapped in the city for the time being, but even after several weeks, he hadn't received a single answer to any of his queries. He was angry, but more than that, he was reaching a level of discouragement. He refused to let such emotions show, even if the creatures could sense it. He would hide his heart as he hid his eyes until he found who he was searching for.

More of these shadow creatures flowed up from the ground. Beneath the darkness of his hood, the figure smirked at these persistent creatures. They carried no will but to devour more hearts and create more like them. Such an empty existence, though, in some way, he empathized their plight. He had tried to drag his friends into the darkness when they did not agree with his decisions; one became like these creatures, these Heartless, and he had been too foolish to save him.

His gloved hands rose to his belt, where the right rest on the hilt of a winged weapon, a weapon of darkness, the left only mimicking the gesture. Meanwhile, the Shadows grew in numbers. They surrounded the figure, their backwards, jagged antennae spastic and wild. The wind increased, whipping the rain against any exposed skin, the soft drops now hard as hail. Lightning formed in the deluge of water, illuminating the black figures in a macabre display of light and dark. The creatures stumbled closer, preparing to strike. From beneath the hood came a single question:

"Where's Sora?"


	2. Will This Ever End

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Will This Ever End?**

_One year before…_

_Somewhere on an unknown plain…_

"C'mon Pluto! Slow down!"

_On an unknown world…_

"Stop! Halt!"

_We find our heroes where we last left them. With Kingdom Hearts sealed and the Heartless stopped, Sora, Donald and Goofy set out to find Riku and King Mickey. They were locked in Kingdom Hearts after the battle with Ansem. This did not deter this mismatched group, but rather instigated the search. Sora and his two close friends, Donald, the hot-headed magician and Goofy, the passive knight, have become a force that little would try and stand up to..._

"Please, Stop! We'll give you a cookie, a ball, anything!"

_Except a small yellow dog with black ears and a letter from the king..._

"Sora, can't you stop him with your magic?" Donald quacked, his tone grating and angry, as always. He ran with such a forward lean, one was tempted to believe he'd topple right over.

"I don't want to hurt him..." The young Keyblader paused in-between pants, then glared beside him with his cerulean eyes ablaze with childish annoyance. "Wait! My magic? You're a mage, use yours!"

Pluto kept running at a steady pace rather enjoying the attention.

"Aw, phooey!" Donald retorted, not pleased to have been out-thought by Sora of all people.

"Uh, why don't we try'un catch him with our there glide technique?" Goofy offered, trying to avoid yet another fight between the two tempermentals. Unlike Donald's run, Goofy was bent over in the opposite direction, like his feet were faster than his head, which was probably true.

"Oh! Right. I forgot about that." Sora brightened, remembering the method of 'flying' that Peter Pan had taught them. '_Okay,_' Sora thought, with a little too much excitement. '_I have to concentrate…_'

"Well, obviously." Donald muttered, displeased about the situation and never missing an opportunity to make that clear. He was also out-manuevered for ideas by Goofy, and that irked him twice in five minutes.

Sora's thought process derailed, the combative hero wanting a good comeback more than he wanted to fly, which ended in a less than graceful crash amidst his attempt to take off. "Aaahh!" Sora had managed to get ahead of his companions, so quite unable to avoid it, Donald and Goofy, they tripped over him; all three proceeded to roll, tumble, and crash over the road. About two handsprings, ten somersaults and five cartwheels later, none of them intentional, the trio landed on the dirt path with a thud.

"Well, that was just flawless," Donald threw out there, his left leg twisted in Sora's arm, his back end trapped under Goofy's shoulders, and his hat five feet away. He rolled his eyes and thumped his chin into his hand, his elbow pushed into the dirt and pebbles.

"I didn't see you trying!" Sora gasped, his body pinned under Goofy's other half; the big dog rubbed at his head, stirred by the familiar sound of his fighting companions.

"WHAT! Why you..."

"Great. Here we go again," Goofy sighed, still not moving.

Pluto stopped and sat down, a few feet ahead of the mass. He waited without hurry, his tail wagging and thumping in the grass, and the letter still in his mouth. They would stop in time, and he was still excited to play.

**x-x**

A long ten minutes later...

"FINE!" and following that came a thump as the two bickering egos flopped down on the ground, facing opposite directions. Donald huffed while Sora sulked, both radiating waves of immaturity and friendly frustration. They bickered daily, so the situation was no cause for concern. This was evident in Goofy's carefree approach towards Pluto, as if the last half hour of running hadn't happened.

"Gawrsh, this is quite interestun', this here letter." Goofy commented, taking his time over the scrawl of ink that the King had used for his note.

"Huh?" Was the response from the other two, forgetting their little spat like most children do.

"I, uh, asked him for the letter, he gave it tah me." Goofy explained as if the answer had been obvious the whole time. "I reckon he was bored of you two fightin'." Pluto barked in agreement; Goofy gave his trademark "h-yuck", and patted him on the head.

"Figures." Donald groaned. "What does it say?" By now, he and Sora were by Goofy and attempting to read over his shoulder.

"Well, uh. Here Sora, you read it. It's mostly for you anyhow." Goofy passed the letter over and continued to pet Pluto.

"Um, okay." Sora took the letter and tried to fish through the slobbered bits. Donald switched to Sora's shoulder to read as well when the Keyblader didn't speak aloud.

_My friends,_

_I know you are looking for me and though I appreciate it, it isn't necessary. Don't worry Sora, your friend Riku is still here with me, though he seems troubled about something. We're still inside Kingdom Hearts; fighting off the Heartless varies from day to day. Sometimes they are more persistent. I hope you're all well. Unfortunately, this letter isn't about pleasantries. Sora, I know that you and I sealed the Heartless and the Darkness of them within Kingdom Hearts, but something's afoot. Or maybe missing is a better word. The Heartless are restless, determined if you will. They want to escape from Kingdom Hearts, not just because they're locked in. More like they're searching for something. Something that maybe we missed. Currently, everything's stable, but I feel like something is going to happen. Something bad and likely soon. It would be better if you would search for the missing piece of this puzzle, whatever it may be. Try and find the thing that the Heartless desire. I don't know the answer, so trust your instincts and your Keyblade. Oh, and I have something else for you._

Sora stopped reading and asked Goofy if there was anything else in the envelope. The large dog though for a moment, then two, before he picked up a small chain with a key pendant on it. Sora gave an involuntary chuckle and turned back to the letter, wanting to understand what he was holding.

_It's not a Keyblade per se, but if you touch your Keyblade to it, it will become a makeshift blade. This impending doom that I feel makes me think a new problem will soon be upon us. You will be able to do much more with two Keyblades._

_Please find this power force. It may determine the fate of all worlds. Donald, Goofy, please help him._

_ King Mickey_

"Whoa," Sora said with a sigh. Donald darted back when Sora flopped on the ground and stared at the cloudless sky, the colour filling his pupils the same colour as his irises. New thoughts began to pour into Sora's head, without rhyme or reason. He soon felt swamped, his body feeling heavy and burdened. '_I thought everything was fine. I just wanted to find Riku and go home…'_

Several silent moments passed before:

"Well, try touching your Keyblade to that necklace thing." Donald suggested.

**x-x**

_A few months later,_

"Aw, damn it! I'll never get this!" Following this outburst was a loud crash and Sora stormed out of the cave that the three had chosen to dwell in for a while. His Keyblades provided an additional thunk as they clattered to the ground and cast echoes deep into the shelter. Luckily no other animal life forms were on the planet, at least that the trio knew of; after nightly rituals of Sora's tantrums of frustration, it was possible there were some and they had been scared away.

"You'll be able to do so much more," Sora mimicked the letter's advice, then kicked a dead stump. "Yeah, maybe if I knew how to fight with two weapons instead of one!"

After receiving the King's letter, Sora, Donald and Goofy made a unanimous decision to try and locate the "power force" the King mentioned, even if the vote was tinged with disappointment that they would still be without their friends. Unfortunately, they were still on that unknown world even now. Due to the battle with Ansem, their gummi ship was destroyed and the pieces were scattered. Sora still had some pieces in his inventory bag, and they had found several in their travels, but without an engine and a left wing, their escape was not going to happen.

"Where's that Shadow Me when I need it! Let that thing wield that other accursed blade!"

After Donald suggested trying out that key that the King sent, Sora had been practicing with his two blades: His Keyblade and the makeshift one. Currently, he had the Lionheart and Divine Rose key chains attached. He tried many combinations of Keyblades, but with no luck. He and Riku always practiced with one sword when they were kids and never saw the need to go with two when one worked just fine. To say he was impatient and cranky was an understatement.

"I'd like to see _him_ handle two Keyblades!" Sora continued to rant. "The only way that makeshift blade will be of any use is if I hurl it at their heads and pray it hits them. AAAAAAAHH!" Sora yelled, flopping down in front of a giant oak tree and curled up in a seated position amidst the giant tree roots. The hope he had felt once the door to Kingdom Hearts had shut had faded since then. All he could think of was Riku's apologetic eyes telling him to take care of Kairi, and then watching Kairi's hand slip out of his as if Destiny wanted to keep all three of them apart. To make matters worse, he was becoming less patient and more easily angered than he had even been in his life. He kept thinking back to when he had sacrificed his heart to save Kairi's, and he'd felt the hunger and the desire to hunt out pure, untouched hearts…and wondered if that fall into the darkness was part of his rising urge to just get angry when he couldn't solve a problem. He never used to care, always having Riku to figure out the hard stuff and Kairi to cheer him up when things didn't work out.

'_I'm…getting so tired of being the hero…_'

"Here we go again," Goofy sighed, concerned about yet another Sora outburst. He didn't like seeing his friends so upset. Donald was generally cranky, but it didn't seem like Sora to be so upset. "I guess he's still havin' some problums."

"Yeah…" Donald replied, for once keeping the sarcasm out of his tone. He wanted to snipe a little, equally frustrated that they were still stuck in the same place for months, but even if he wasn't Goofy-transparent, Donald was concerned about Sora's increasingly foul temper. "C'mon Sora. You're doing your best, right? That's not shameful."

"My best?" Sora lifted his head from his knees and glared through the dim where Donald was sitting at the fire that he and Goofy just made. "What in the heck is _my best _doing us?"

"Aw, he's just worried about cha, Sora.." Goofy interjected, trying to avoid a fight. "You'll get it. Let's relax and have somethin' to eat."

Sora muttered to his knees, embarrassed for getting angry at Donald's attempt to make him feel better, now seeing the kindness in the comment. After another moment of silent contemplation, Sora picked himself off and brushed the grass and dirt from his pants as he walked over to join his returning companions. "So, any luck with your search?"

"Aw, phooey!" Donald answered, finally allowing his own aggravation to surface. "We found a few more helpful pieces, but none of them will get us flying."

"Great," Sora muttered, pushing his finger over the surface of a skipping stone. "How are we supposed to search for this "power force"," Sora added air quotes to allow his disappointment another outlet, "if we're stuck out here."

"Oh, don't give up guys." Goofy offered, flopping down and pulling out some food. Goofy was the only form of morale left and even if he didn't openly see it, both Sora and Donald were grateful to hear it. "We'll find all them gummies, eventually. Then we can search for that there strange 'power'. An' don't forget: The King's countin' on us." Sora and Donald both muttered a quiet sigh in agreement.

"Hmm...I wonder what he meant by 'there's something missing'?" Sora pondered, concentrating his will enough to summon the Keyblades to his side before dismissing them, the second blade returning to its pendant form about his neck.

"Are you still on that?" Donald inquired, accepting some food. "The King would have told us if he knew. Besides if you'd keep your Keyblades intact, maybe they'd give a hint."

"Yeah, yeah," Sora responded, now too exasperated to argue. Truth was, he was thinking about Riku again. The King had said that Riku was 'troubled' by something, and it bothered the young teen to not know what that "something" was. He'd been thinking about Riku's mindset a lot more since that letter, trying to think back before Destiny Islands was taken by the Heartless, trying to remember if there was something "troubling" Riku then too. He felt like he should remember something very important, but he wasn't sure what it was.

'_Why was Riku so determined to leave Destiny Islands, our home, so badly? We all wanted adventure, but it's like he was hoping to find something else._' Sora ate without speaking furthermore, no longer listening to Donald and Goofy's plans for the next day of searching.

'_Ansem said that his heart sought freedom; but what kind of freedom would he get by sacrificing it to the darkness? Damn, it just doesn't make sense...I wonder if Kairi knew something?_'


	3. I'll Wait For You

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 3: I'll Wait For You**

_I wonder if Kairi knew something..._

...

...

"Hey Kairi, c'mon and play 'Blitzer Ball' with us. We can't do two-on- two without four players!"

"You can be on my team. We'll show these two how the game's really done!"

"Please, Kairi needs a good player on her team. Forget him Kairi, but will you come play with us?"

Back on Destiny Islands, the 'seventh princess of pure heart' smiled at her friends' kindness, but gave a polite shake of her head, her carmine hair, now long enough to touch her shoulders, waving back and forth. She turned back to the sky and continued to gaze. The sun was remarkable, a yellow disc hanging in a near cloudless sky. The rays glittered off of the rippling waves like a dream, and Kairi felt quite content where she was.

"Man, I'm really starting to worry about her." Selphie sighed, though her voice was not as quiet as she wanted it to be. "It's been what, five months and she hasn't done anything but sit on that tree and look at the sky."

"I know," Tidus jumped in, waving a stick he had found through the air, giving the impression that he wasn't as concerned as he was. "I swear she wouldn't even eat if we didn't bring her food. She hardly goes home and I'm amazed she allows herself to sleep at night!"

"Hey Kairi, you sure ya don't want to play?" Wakka yelled back over to the island. Kairi smiled, and declined again. "Okay!" Turning back to Tidus and Selphie, he spun the Blitz Ball on his finger, a common habit. "C'mon guys, Kairi's a smart kid, but she's worried about Riku and Sora, ya?"

"Yeah," came two weak responses.

"Ya, so she was the closest to the two of them and she's the only one who knows whut happened out there. Let's leave her alone; if she wants to join us, she'll come." Wakka tossed the ball into the air and butted it with his head in the direction of the cove. Tidus and Selphie didn't like the answer but they followed Wakka's lead, seeing no way to help Kairi if she wouldn't talk to them.

'_I'm sorry, everyone, but I'd rather wait here_,' Kairi whispered in a voice so soft, she then wondered if she had spoken it. Some of the wind had tousled her hair, and in a delicate motion, she urged the strands behind her ears again. The length was a bit of a nuisance, seated in the between stage of too long and not long enough, depending on what she wanted it to do.

'_I wonder if Sora would recognize me with my hair like this?_' She wondered as she watched the sky with the same colour as Sora's eyes. '_Would he like it long?_' Her thoughts then queried the same about Riku, as she tried to think about what they looked like now too. It had been half a year since she had seen either of them, and even then, her memories were troubling to try and sift through. Her last memory of Riku was merely the reflection of his felled heart giving its final strength to hold back Ansem from harming her, Donald and Goofy. And of Sora…when their hands parted as she returned, helpless, to the island again.

Sometimes, she just wanted to give up hope.

'_You'll find Riku and return like you said. I know you will._' Still, Kairi fought against her desire to surrender, wanting to believe in her friends more than anything else. Sora had made so many promises to her, and she was determined to be there when he came back to fulfill them. He promised to bring Riku back. He promised to give her calassa shell charm back to her.

_And in the cave, scratched into the stone sometime before the world fell to darkness, Sora promised…_

Kairi closed her eyes, listening to the waves crash against the shore, and whispered to the blue sky,

"I'll wait for you."


	4. Holding On

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Holding On**

_Do you think Riku's okay? I mean, it just seems like he's upset about something..._

_..._

_...  
_

"I take it you had no luck?"

"Same response that I always get. We're dealing with mindless creatures; why should today be any different?"

The hooded figure allowed himself a sigh of exasperation before he flopped onto the wooden floor, water dripping from his hair, his coat and any other part of him that managed to get rain-touched in the last four hours. The feeling ceased to bother after months of going out in the weather that never seemed to stop. Sometime during the fight, his hood had fallen, spilling jagged silver hair into the rain and lightning; it also dripped with water across the floorboards. He regretted his words against the Heartless, having felt the emptiness that the darkness brought. He had helped those creatures once, and the hypocrisy tasted bitter. He refused to apologize though, tired and frustrated by their lack of progress.

"Do you think Sora received the letter you sent? I mean, you don't even know where he is."

"You have to have faith, Riku. Without it, the darkness will control you. Don't lose hope."

"Yeah, yeah, hope this and faith that." Riku muttered, sinking further into his trenchcoat, refusing to succumb to the chills of rain drizzling down his nape and over his back. He lifted one knee and rested his arm there. '_Hope that the threat of total darkness is worse than ever? Faith that the Heartless have escaped from Kingdom Hearts and we were powerless to stop them? They're just words…_' Riku pressed his lips together before the thoughts slipped into the open. He didn't understand how the King could be so positive when there was so little to believe in. It seemed like every step they took brought them through the floor and back to the level they had finally passed.

Riku and King Mickey had been trapped in Kingdom Hearts for about three months of time in the outside world before being cast out. King Mickey had sent a letter of warning to Sora soon after their escape, but it was doubtful that his messenger, a strange fairy that Riku had saved from the Heartless, would be able to find the trio. Riku and Mickey had been staying at an apartment building in an unknown world where they landed after "escaping". The world seemed to be plagued with dark clouds and an endless rain, which continued to leave its mark on their moods. King Mickey only hid his a little better.

"It looks like the Heartless got you," Mickey noted, pointing at Riku's cheek, where a line of crimson stemmed several rivulets down the paled skin. "Maybe if you took off the bandanna off, you-,"

"I told you already, I see better with it on." Riku insisted, keeping his voice flat despite how often he had to give this response. "Please let me be…" He brushed at his cheek, wincing at the sting left by his knuckles. He waited for the King to tell him not to remain in his wet clothes lest he catch cold, but the words didn't come. They sat in silence, only listening to the rain beat against the windows. Riku leaned back and let his head smack against the wall, hoping the mild abuse would shake an answer free.

"It must be really important to you," Mickey spoke without provocation, trying to lighten Riku's spirits again. He was Riku's friend, even if the teen was afraid to broach that kind of connection again. "And I suppose the one who gave it to you is important as well?"

Riku lifted his head and looked in Mickey's direction, then returned his gaze to the darkness where he knew his leg was, feeling guilty for his moody disposition.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that..." Riku dared a smirk to spread across his face.

_I think you overdid it Riku. Look at you; you're a mess. Here, let me. It'll keep the hair out of your eyes too... ~~~_

"Was it from Kairi?" King Mickey pressed, not wanting to lose Riku to his sorrowed reflections for another night. They had not spoken about what had happened _then_, but he knew it was somehow connected to Riku's willingness to give his everything to every decision he made. King Mickey had very little insight into Riku's past, gaining only the pieces that the sullen teen would allow to slip out. He had wanted to leave his home to gain adventure, and even though he knew the sacrifices, he went ahead with his plan; he fell to the devil of jealousy when he saw that Sora was surviving in the worlds without him, and he risked even more to keep from losing Kairi too; he wanted to prove himself stronger and chose the darkness.

But in all of that, King Mickey sensed there was a truth that he had not been given. He didn't expect Riku to tell him, but he did want to help if he could.

Riku shook his head rather than answer through words. He didn't want the King to know who it was, not yet. Not until he knew whether everything he knew was a lie, truth, or something in-between. He had been given too many false hopes to be confident now. He closed his eyes, wanting a moment to rest before he lifted his body to wander in the direction of a shower.

King Mickey did not ask anything more, respecting Riku's privacy. He didn't want to push and lose his only companion. He had travelled alone for too long. In a way, he understood Riku's desire to be free of his home, his "prison", as Ansem had called it. He loved his friends and his Queen, but Mickey had felt tired of being "King". With the worlds separated, there was never a threat for him to be ruling against. Each day passed, and there was nothing for him to see, to do. When he had received word that Hollow Bastion was beset by darkness, the Heartless breaking free, he had slipped from the castle, leaving only a note so that nothing would stop him from finally being able to do _something_.

He didn't realize how long he had been away until he saw Donald and Goofy on the other side of Kingdom Hearts with the sandy-haired Keyblade Master, Sora.

'_I don't think we're as different as you might think, Riku. I hope you will share your burdens with me before they drag you back to a place where I cannot help you…_'


	5. The Sunset

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Sunset**

_…I promised I'd find you, with all my heart._

...

...

Another day had curtained its performance, leaving the paradisiacal Island of Destiny with its radiant encore. The suspended ball of light had recently begun its ritual of exit for its illuminated partner to watch the Islands within the night; a changing of guards in a sense. Currently, the glowing orb hung above the horizon line, not quite kissing the sparkling line of water yet. Like most sunsets on this land, there were no clouds for the sun to rainbow, but that did not hinder the beauty of the sight. The sun had darkened to a fiery orange, and in its path, cast what seemed to be the entire visible spectrum of light upon the shimmery ocean water as it gently crashed against the shore. The physics of reflection outdid itself as the colours skimmed about the waters and heightened the splendor of the scene.

Similar thoughts of description flickered about the mind of a silver-haired Islander as he walked along the shoreline, basking in the final rays of deep warmth that the sun gave him before going to rest for another night. Though he often thought about leaving the Islands to explore other worlds, eager to seek excitement that the Islands didn't provide anymore, he longed to stay for the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets.

'_I swear…nothing could possibly parallel the beauty of these sights…_' As he neared the bridge that connected this Island to its small extension, Riku's eyes left the horizon to swiftly contradict his thoughts. He had an ulterior reason for wanting to leave this place, but a few months prior, it no longer seemed as important.

'_Well…almost nothing…_' There upon the tiny extension, or Paopu Island, as it was often affectionately called, was the one who rivaled his adoration of the sun's performances. He couldn't figure out why this was. She came from an unknown world without memories, but then, so did Kairi. They had similar interests, but then, so did he and Sora, Kairi and everyone else. She desired the adrenaline of competition and wouldn't back down to the devil, but then, Selphie was like that too. She was a critical thinker, often speculating on things that most people termed advanced and nutty, but then, Lulu posed this trait too. So, in spite of all her commonalities, Riku could not discern what made her different to him.

He didn't know. Sometimes, the enigma kept him frozen to one spot for uncounted minutes. At that particular moment, he didn't care.

Not wanting to waste a second, Riku took longer strides, deepened his step into the sand to propel forward. He glanced around once or twice to make sure no one was watching him, despite knowing that everyone else had gone home for the night. As he neared his destination, Riku noticed the abandoned log that he had asked Sora to bring to the cove and a childish idea overtook his irritation at Sora being forgetful again. Using the log as leverage, Riku threw his body into the air and grasped one of the many wooden planks that made up the bridge leading to the Paopu Islet.

The one he had been hurrying to visit twisted around, turning from the sunset to watch him dangling in the air like a trapped rabbit. Her facial features were hard to see with the darkening sun casting light around her and shadows in front of her, but Riku did perceive a smile curving her lips. His shortcut hadn't saved the few seconds it would have taken to go through the shack, but it was worth being smiled at. He still wasn't quite sure why that was, but he didn't want to think on it now either. He stalled climbing up for a moment more, wanting to bask in the radiance of twilight forming around her.

"Heh. You need some help?"

Riku almost didn't hear the sarcastic jibe amidst the waves and the static of his thoughts, but his heart did not let anything slip by. His own lips curved into a smile of their own, though it was more of a smirk, which Kairi called "infamous", before he grasped the bridge with his other hand and hauled himself up without difficulty. He didn't waste time walking to where she was sitting, giving his muscles a stretch as he moved to sit on the bend of the Paopu tree too.

"I was going to chew Sora out for leaving that log there, but I guess it worked in my favour." Riku received a laugh from his companion, an honest giggle that cast a small tremble through her shoulders. He didn't understand why that small gesture would always trickle warmth into his cheeks, though he did often think it was because she always seemed so reserved, almost fragile behind her aggressive tactics in swordplay, as if laughing would be her own undoing. The sound brushed past his silver hair to nuzzle his ears and give him another memory to hold onto.

"Where is the slacker anyways? He fall asleep in the middle of another race again?" They exchanged another chuckle, still laughing about that one incident during a cove competition. Sora continued to insist that he had tripped over a stone, but the offending rock was nowhere to be seen. At first everyone had been worried that something was wrong, but Sora woke up only a minute later without injury, so there was no reason to keep the incident on a serious level.

"Nah. He and Kairi went home for dinner." Riku didn't have to go home until it was after dark because his mother's schedule always had her home late. He never minded, preferring to be out when the sun was setting anyway. She let her laugh taper before returning her gaze to the colourful horizon line. As the silence filled the space between them, Riku felt a twinge of jealousy. She held such affection for them, an affection he found himself longing for, even if on a small scale. Her attention had been on him, but it had just as soon returned to the sun. For a brief pause, he almost felt a pain akin to rejection until his brain caught up with the idea and he felt foolish for thinking in that way.

He also felt afraid. They didn't get many chances to be alone, often spending their time with Sora, Kairi, or both, and despite wanting a moment to speak with her alone, he always felt nervous and unsettled when the rare chances did occur. He swallowed back the forming lump in his throat, hoping it would hit his heart and make it beat at a normal rate again. He prided himself in not being afraid of anything, and he didn't want this to mess that up.

He dared himself to watch the horizon, to not look at her, but his eyes betrayed him as he kept his bright aquamarine eyes on her sun-kissed cheek. He was facing the sunset, so no one could ever know the difference. And if she felt his gaze on her, she didn't let on.

"It's so beautiful…" She sighed, as though committing the sight to memory. Her voice almost sounded possessed, as though the sight had taken her heart prisoner. Riku had noticed her fondness of the twilit hours when they often seemed stronger than his own, and once questioned it. He remembered the way her eyes dimmed, the colour draining as her pupils dilated, the way she pressed her lips together as if he had hurt her. How she had looked away from him as sadness seemed to weigh upon her shoulders. Her voice matched her uneasy expression as she whispered to the atmosphere, rather than him directly.

_I still don't remember my old home…only that it was always cold. Cold…and dark…_

"Yeah. It really is." Riku offered in a voice that betrayed his distracted mindset, purposely refusing to indicate what he considered "beautiful". Again, if she knew the truth behind his actions, she didn't make it known. Riku could feel his confidence starting to fail, this awkward feeling getting the better of him, so in an attempt to both hide it and boost his morale of his unfinished task, Riku asked,

"Ever wonder what it would be like if you could travel to other worlds?" He caught the reaction of shock strike her features, her possessed link with the sunset broken. Her gaze abandoned the sight to look at Riku with curiosity and a degree of concern. Riku turned his head to meet her eyes.

_Did anyone ever tell you that your eyes are the same colour as the ocean where the water gets really deep? That's kinda cool, don't you think? _

The heat in his cheeks continued to make the task of keeping eye contact difficult and uncomfortable. As if to spare him, she looked back towards the sunset.

"To be honest, no. I mean, I guess I am in another world now, and I like it here, so I don't really have an argument to make." Her head tilted down, watching the water rather than the sky, but Riku could tell it was a gesture of worry rather than curiosity. He didn't see why she would be disheartened by the idea. A small gap of silence spread its wings before she looked at him again. "Suppose you manage to get to other worlds, what would you do there? What do you hope to find?"

If his question had knocked her off balance, then she had given it right back. Unfortunately, his recovery was less than graceful.

"Well...I...uh...haven't really thought about it. I—I don't really know…" He managed to spit out, though the response would bother him later. For the longest time, he was hungry for adventure, wanting to breach the barriers of the Island and be free. As the years drifted by, the want to leave grew stronger, but his desires altered a little. His heart being the biggest benefactor, Riku felt like something was missing, that it was waiting for him somewhere beyond the confines of this small world. He supposed it began when Kairi came to the Island when he was seven and Sora had just turned six, as it was then that he began to believe there was a way to leave.

Lately, his heart had softened its demands to escape, as though the need to find whatever he hoped was out there didn't seem so important anymore.

"And what about you?" He had asked the question in desperation to regain his composure, but soon found his heart silencing to hear her response. Its pace remained at a rapid rate, but it wanted to hear her and so, it just made its actions quieter. The two watery shades of their eyes held onto each other, both searching each other for something they didn't even know existed. Though her hair usually hid her eyes from view, a soft breeze wisped between them, invisible fingers brushing the crimson tipped black strands aside to keep the gaze connected.

Just as the silver-haired Islander felt like his solid streak of never breaking under pressure was about to be shot to oblivion, she surrendered the clash to reface the sun as it began to slip under the horizon, embracing the ocean's edge with an innocent passion. A soft murmur left her, indicating a solemn consideration of the question. It was a simple query, but like with Riku, the answer seemed so hard to both of them. He continued to watch her at a sideways glance, a small worry starting to flutter again.

'_She said she doesn't remember anything, but…_' Riku's lips betrayed him and allowed her name to whisper into the air, amidst the gentle splash of the waves below. Her response was not verbal, but it paralyzed his body nonetheless. She closed her eyes and leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. For a long pause, Riku couldn't recall how to breathe properly, having never been touched in this fashion before, not even with his other friends when they were falling asleep right next to him. He hadn't the slightest idea of what he was supposed to do, and the rapidity of his heart was not helping.

"I don't see why I should have to leave when all I've hoped for and need is right here." Her right hand had fallen over Riku's left while her quiet words slipped into the twilit air. Her answer had been one that he didn't expect, but internally hoped to hear. He bit down on his lower lip and clenched his right hand to keep himself composed, but he spent most of his energy trying to make sure she didn't notice. New words settled upon his tongue, wanting to be molded into speech.

'_What the hell is this? Why am I so nervous? It's a simple statement. That's all it is._' Riku closed his eyes, trying to settle his head and heart down. He wanted to respond, to tell her his thoughts, some of his feelings, to learn more about her, but he couldn't find the nerve to risk losing that moment and future moments like it.

"Riku…your heart is racing. Is something wrong?"

'_No. Everything's perfect._' His body betrayed him again as he leaned against her as well, his head settling upon her black hair. After a few seconds of the only sound being the calm water splashing the shore, Riku felt himself beginning to speak against his will…

The sun was half-accepted by the water…


	6. Dreams and Nightmares

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Dreams and Nightmares**

_Maybe…it would have been better for everyone if we had never met…_

...

...

"Damn!"

Riku snapped out of his heaven just to return to his current hell. Remembering where he was, listening to rain continue to fall, Riku hit his head against the wall. Shards of memory still burned fiery orange against the darkness of his black blindfold, a cruel joke as he felt the warmth of the dream fade into the chills of his damp clothing and hair.

'_Is this what hope is? Constantly wishing to return to what was and being rewarded with what is?_' Riku allowed himself a sigh to relieve the ache of disappointment clutching at his heavy heartbeat. '_No, stop it._' He looked up towards the ceiling, thinking about all of the floors above him to try and escape the sting of the sunset he wanted to never forget. '_That kind of thinking is what got me into this mess in the first place…_'

At his side, Riku could hear the soft breathing of his travel companion, who had moved onto one of the numerous abandoned couches in their hiding place, and concluded that he was still sleeping.

'_Good,_' Riku decided, relieved that the King had finally been able to rest after what felt like several days of remaining awake to tend to him and the fever he caught from being out in the rain so much. Shame crept onto Riku's cheekbones when he thought about how quickly he had returned to the rain when his fever finally broke. He hated being such a stubborn burden, but he couldn't face being idle in the apartment for more than a few hours. And, as if to deepen his own grave, Riku left the hideaway again, needing more time to think.

The air had warmed to that of a summer storm rather than one that threatened winter's approach. He didn't bother returning the hood to his head since his hair was already soaked and he wanted to avoid feeling more constricted that he already did. Despite the blindfold, Riku walked around without any problems, however aimlessly.

'_You're out there somewhere… You protected me in Kingdom Hearts, so why is it that every time I try and find you, the divide between us widens?_'

Riku kicked at the loose stones that came near his boots, stuffing his gloved hands in his pockets, hating this helplessness. This inability to protect the people he cared about, to get anything he wanted without risking everything else. Hating himself for not trying harder **that** night.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Good-bye Riku." The pillars of twisting, writhing shadows multiplied, surrounding her. "I'm sorry… I thought I could escape fate by hiding, but I don't want to put you and everyone else in danger."

"No, you can't! I don't want to lose you like this!" Riku yelled, thrusting his arm between the cage of darkness separating them, his fingers stretching towards her; he screamed her name, hating the way she looked at him with defeat in her dilated eyes. The way she was giving up, giving him up.

"I'm sorry, but the door must remain closed..." The shadows had already reached her shoulders, threatening to shut her out of Riku's life forever.

"What door? It doesn't matter! We'll guard it together; I'll protect you from this! Just don't leave!" Tears began to form in Riku's bluish-green eyes, now filled with fear that this was it. The harder he struggled, the tighter and more resistant the darkness became. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, which only made the pain worse.

She offered no more words, only a smile that Riku could never forget. It was filled with the memories she had gained in his presence. A single tear escaped as she closed her eyes and the shadows stole her away.

"No!" Riku fell into the darkness that had been holding him back. The shadows shook him, rasping his name...


	7. I'm Sorry

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 7: I'm Sorry...  
**

_Why does it feel like your smile of "hello" is really whispering "goodbye"?_

...

...

"Riku? Riku! You're just dreaming! Wake up!"

"What!" Riku's eyes opened to nothing but familiar darkness, his body jerking from prone to seated without a degree of hesitation. He pressed his shaking hands to his forehead, pained by the sudden throb to awaken at his temples as his memories drifted back into the corners of his mind. Mickey, the King of Disney Castle and Riku's newest companion jumped back, relieved that Riku had finally woken up but still intimately concerned that whatever had invaded his sleep was still present in his heart. There was still too much he didn't know about Riku, so as much wisdom as he could hold, Mickey still did not know what to say in order to avoid the situation becoming more awkward.

Still, he risked an "Are you okay?"

Riku shivered, still angered and hurt that he was still incapable of changing what had happened that night, watching on as someone who shouldn't have felt so indebted to their world seemingly sacrificed herself to keep it safe. The same world he had thrown away to try and find her again; the irony stirred his stomach until he had to clamp a hand across his mouth to keep his stomach contents where they were. His eyes could see nothing past the dim glow of the King's golden Keyblade, the surroundings still so dark and lifeless. He didn't know what day it was, how long he and the King had been trapped in the bowels of Kingdom Hearts, or if they were any closer to leaving than they were since the last time he wondered about the world outside of this sense-deprived place. He now understood how creatures like the Heartless could exist here; there was nothing to distract what may remain in the hearts they once were.

"I guess…" Riku lowered his hand as the nausea faded, relieved that he wouldn't need to waste any more of the King's rations because of self-pity. He wanted to give a more positive response, but didn't see how he could when his hopes were wearing thin. He had created his own Hell and had similarly dragged his friends down with him, and the guilt was not a weight he could relieve himself of so easily.

"If you don't mind me asking, who was it that you were talking about?" Mickey pondered as he took a seat at Riku's side, nestling on a nearby rock with his Keyblade creating a halo of light around them.

"Nobody…" Riku whispered, still not ready to confide his most painful secrets with anyone. He didn't even tell Kairi when she had asked him a year before what had happened, and despite the increasing frequency of the dream while they were trapped in the darkness, Riku wanted to hide more of his weaknesses rather than express them. He supposed opening up might heal some of the wounds, but Riku wasn't sure he wanted them cared for either.

"Sorry I had to do that, but you were talking in your sleep again." Mickey backed away from the interrogative tone, sensing Riku would only become defiant or withdrawn, possibly both and more, if he pried too fast, too soon. He wanted to help, but not in a way that would only cause more pain. And tears. "Not only that, but you were really getting upset. I was worried you were going to start attacking things in your sleep next...like me…"

Riku gave an involuntary chuckle at the King's obvious attempt at humour, which seemed a little out of character for ever positive King, but his focus was on his cheeks, particularly the damp trails left behind in the wake of his nightmare. He mopped the emotion away with his glove, sensing the King was watching but acting like he didn't see, a consideration that the teenager almost wanted to thank him for. The opportunity was denied to him as his heart twisted, sensing danger before his eyes noticed a pulse in the shadows off to the King's left side. His hand latched onto the handle of Soul Eater, the weapon given to him through his brief time of controlling the darkness, and the only part of it that remained with him. The blade structure looked like a bat's wing, the bones blue and the membrane blood-red; near the handle was an azure dragon eye with grey spikes on each side to form the hilt. It was a loyal weapon even if its origins came as a blow to his heart.

"Your Majesty, watch out!" Riku got to his feet and shielded the King as a scattering of Darkball Heartless, floating orbs with dangling antennae and large teeth, bobbed out of the darkness and raced towards the two of them. Riku swung his sword, taking out each threat without much effort, adrenaline guiding his arm. As each enemy burst into shadow droplets, his heart sped up, frightened by an invisible threat. The attack was too simple, not even worthy of him jumping up to protect the King, who was surprisingly well trained in sword-fighting. He shot his gaze from side to side, trying to perceive the reason for his fear, frantic now. The King had turned to guard Riku's back, also sensing the something dangerous in the unknown.

Despite the aureate light surrounding them, a small protection in the darkness, Riku did not see the attack until it was too late. He hadn't killed all of the Darkballs that had appeared, one merely sliding into teleportation until the moment was right; its inch long teeth sank into Riku's left wrist, piercing the muscle and bone almost up to his elbow, paralyzing his fingers and rendering Soul Eater useless. A scream pierced his throat, the sound like nothing he had ever heard from himself or another. Even amidst the void they were trapped in, the sound carried, rippling like water. Mickey swung around and dispensed with the attacker in a single swing, but not in time to stop the wheel of fate. With Riku distracted, several other Shadows leapt at his chest and clawed at his collarbone until the pendant he had been hiding underneath his shirt had been revealed. One snagged the chain in its claws and the links snapped; they leapt away, their prize sought.

"No!" Riku ran from his fallen sword, his comrade and the only light he could use to see, uncaring about the blood he trailed and the agony of his injured arm. His eyes were blank, seeing only one thing as he threw himself onto the one creature with his pendant, his other arm slamming the creature's head into the ground before he wrestled the pendant and nearly lost chain from its claws. Panting like a wild animal, Riku stood and started to back away from the violence he had committed, clasping his possession to the bleeding cuts on his chest. His dilated eyes had nearly lost their naturally soft aqua colour, broken by the thought of death and loss, two things he had never considered when he so eagerly had wished for freedom from his home. He was scared. The reality of losing everything scared him more than anything had ever done. Blood dripped from his unmoving fingers, his left arm helpless. His heart pounded until he thought he would choke.

"Riku! Get back!"

Mickey's warning didn't save him. Riku's emotions were running too high, too loud, too irresistible to the heart-hungry creatures that spawned in that world. Claws and teeth tore at his body, ripping at his clothing until it fell in strips and chunks, leaving him bared to their feral assault. In a haze of pain, Riku could hear the whispers, rasping in a wordless language that he could somehow understand. He knew what they sought, besides his heart, and he wouldn't let them take it away. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the King's voice, crying out for him to hang on. He wanted to, he wanted to live and fight and keep the promises he had made. The memories spilled forth again, his heart falling further into danger.

* * *

_I don't know why, but it feels like I was meant to give this to you. Don't lose it, okay?  


* * *

_

'_I couldn't protect you…I lost my home, my friends; I gave up my heart for power. Why do all of my good intentions end up so wrong?_'

His emotions spilled into one last apology, a final bid for forgiveness.

"Riku!"


	8. Approaching Dusk

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Approaching Dusk  
**

_x-x-x-x-x-x-x_

_I don't understand… Why won't you look at me? Did I hurt your feelings? Are you still scared about yesterday? Why won't you tell me what's wrong? _

I better go. I'm sure Kairi will get anxious if I don't show up shortly after sunset.

_Don't go. Please, just stay here. Can't you hear my thoughts in the way I'm reaching out to hold onto you? I don't know why I'm too scared to speak, but you should recognize what I'm feeling by now. Please, don't go._

Thanks…for worrying about me. Get home safe, okay?

_Wait, you haven't given me your answer! Don't go!_

Good-bye…Riku.

I'll see you tomorrow, okay?

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

_When will you understand that you don't have to be alone anymore…_

...

...

"Riku!"

'_That voice!_' Riku opened his eyes, startled by the force that swelled in his chest. The pendant in his hand burned his palm, shafts of tarnished silver searing between his clenched fingers. He had to let go, frightened by the sudden intensity swelling in his hand. The light was not the same as he had witnessed around Sora, a pure ivory white that seemed so much like Kairi's smile; this illumination was metallic and cold, contrasting the darkness in colour only. At first, Riku was afraid, bleeding and mostly unclothed and alone in this presence that seemed more like the darkness than the light. Then he saw her, the one he had been trying to find, buried in that tarnished light. He couldn't turn away, not when he was so close. Not when that hope that the King speaking of was so close.

Mickey startled back, blinded by the dangerous illumination that flung the blanket of shadows away from their initial target. Behind his shielding hand, Mickey saw Riku, standing in the middle of the cold light, his similarly coloured hair cast about by an updraft of wind. His clothes were no longer the same, his yellow muscle shirt replaced with a black tanktop, zippered from the front, and a white vest, unzipped, with yellow lapels and a yellow stripe along the bottom, with a blue stripe above that. His blue waders were gone, now a set of periwinkle baggy jeans, with large lavender pockets, and a simple black, studded belt to hold them up. His shoes had shortened to white sneakers with black and yellow trim. And on his left arm, from his knuckles to his elbow, was a white cloth of sorts, possibly a bandage, but from that distance, Mickey was not certain. He could discern no injuries on his companion, despite the assault, as if he had been shielded or healed.

His onyx eyes slid down to Riku's right hand where a Keyblade was now seated. Riku looked at the weapon too, his glazed eyes recognizing the design from the pendant he had always worn against his skin. The shaft was made up of a complex braiding of black, silver and blue chains, all twining down to form a three pronged motif on the one side. Tears rimmed his vision at the sight as he recognized the hollowed shape to be one half of a broken Paopu fruit, broken incorrectly, as he had once done in haste. The hilt was heart-shaped, the arcs made of black wings that met at the base of the handle, where his wrist hovered near.

He felt the memories pulsing in his hands.

The fight was not complete, but Riku did not hold back. His moves were hypnotic, executed without an air of hesitation. Mickey watched in awe, not sure he needed to help anymore. The Heartless dwindled one by one, losing the fight that they had earlier dominated. Riku sensed more enemies waiting in the shadows, but they remained there. He waited, testing their resolve, then turned to make his way back to the King.

'_So I was right. The last key was in _his _hands._' The King met Riku halfway, glancing up and down to make sure he was all right, new clothes and all. "Are you okay?"

Riku blinked, not sure how to respond to the question. As his new weapon unraveled, returning to its state as merely a pendant around his neck, he saw the keychain that had been connected to the Keyblade. The symbol of the Heartless. He thought it both fitting and sad.

"Approaching Dusk." Riku knew the reason for that name and accepted the bitterness that went along with it. Glancing towards his left pocket, Riku saw a small bulge at the bottom. Curious, he drew out a thin, black bandanna, a piece of memory that he though he lost long ago.

When the King asked him again if he was all right, Riku kneeled down and gestured the black cloth towards his companion. "Can…you help me with this? I still can't move my left hand…"

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Beneath the black fabric, Riku opened his eyes, letting the memory dilute to the edge of awareness as the rain continued to caress his hair. He tipped his head towards his left arm, the white cloth hidden beneath his coat sleeve and a black glove. Wincing, he flicked his index and middle fingers, though the pain hidden within the gesture encouraged him to stop. His mobility was returning, but the healing process was still long and painful. His right hand was always the dominant one; he held Soul Eater in his left as a personal hope to reverse the harm he had caused with it. It was a childish notion, but he was mildly relieved that the wound had been inflicted on the left side rather than the right.

'_I know you're here. Somewhere. I promised I would find you and I will._' Riku closed his eyes again, wanting to rely on his ears and the rest of his body rather than his eyes. He had only been seeing the surface, always only looking at what seemed to be rather than what was. When he had found the bandanna in his pocket, after having lost it for over a year, he swore not to take it from his eyes until he stopped running from the mirror, from reality, and finally saw things in the light, or the darkness, that they should be in.

"You can find her sooner than you think."


	9. Floral Wisdom

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Wisdom of Aged Flora**

_I…just wanted us to be together again… Was that such a selfish wish?_

...

...

"Anah, Sora, Donald, Goofy. Take care of yourself." Pocahontas waved, lifting her hand away from her collarbone and extending her arm out to the side. Sora turned from the Gummi Ship, which floated in the water of the ocean, waiting for its drivers to board, and went to offer the same good-bye. His arm swung with a little more enthusiasm than the gesture intended, and nearly sent the ruby-throated hummingbird hovering by his shoulder into the water. The creature didn't take kindly to the send-off, giving Sora's hand a stab with its beak before fluttering back to Pocahontas.

"Ow!" Sora flinched though the injury did him little harm. "Sorry, Flit, I didn't see you." Despite the distance, he could see the tiny glare burning in his direction. Sora grinned, the gesture as lop-sided as always. "Bye, Pocahontas. Good luck to ya!"

Several _Englanders_, including John Smith, still injured from the final battle, clustered to Pocahontas' left side, while her father and the tribe of _Natives_ appeared to her right. Many were saddened by the battle that had occurred, that they had helped occur, but were also grateful that a stranger from an even farther land had fought to help them. Sora waved again, the good-bye complimented by Donald and Goofy at his sides.

The solemn ambiance broke when a raccoon leapt from above the Gummi ship and plopped onto Sora's head.

"No! Meeko!" Pocahontas called out, though her order didn't stop the rogue creature from dodging Sora's hands and snatching away a bag of food that Sora had strapped to his belt.

"Hey!" Sora tried to grab the thieved object, but Meeko dashed away, returning to the land with his prize. He immediately shifted to grab Donald and keep him from chasing after the stolen sachet.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Donald. We got plenty of food in here. A small bag won't matter none." Goofy assured his companion as Sora turned him towards the entrance to the cockpit. The trio gave a final farewell and moved to take off.

"Well, that was quite the adventure, wouldn't ya say, Sora?" Goofy pushed at the take-off buttons and controls while Donald freed himself from Sora's grip and moved to the pilot seat. For once not looking to drive, Sora flopped down on the spare seat and agreed.

"Yeah. I'm burnt out." Sora yawned, stretching his limbs until a gentle melody of cricks rippled up his back, then placed his hands behind his head.

"Awwww, the poor worn out hero." Donald chuckled, tightening his grip on the steering wheel as the ship sputtered into the air. He purposely kept his tone playful, sensing a worrisome exhaustion in Sora's voice. Both he and Goofy had sensed that fatigue in Sora for some time, expecting him to be tired physically but not emotionally. It just wasn't the Sora they knew. "Missed your beauty sleep?"

"It's not like I want to be the hero all the time, you know…" Sora closed his eyes, irritated by the assumption that he was just complaining. Donald and Goofy exchanged _the look _again as Sora hadn't taken the comment with the same good humour as he had always done before.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

It took a total of five months before Sora, Goofy and Donald managed to gather enough miscellaneous gummi blocks to piece together a flyable ship. They had joked about its grotesque design and how Cid would probably have them beaten if he ever saw it in action, but the important part was that it flew. They had immediately set out to locate _Hollow Bastion_, hoping to find their comrades and seek out their advice on the King's letter and learn what had been happening in the five months of them being MIA. The mission ended in failure, however. The plain they were on, whatever it could be called, was located in the middle of nowhere. They couldn't locate any other nearby worlds with their navigation gummi system, which was mediocre but functional, even after days, almost a few weeks of searching. What they did discover was a grim reality.

The Heartless had returned to the space "skies". Their ship carried a barrage of weapons, thanks to their randomized finds, but it couldn't withstand the surplus of enemies for an extended period of time. As their shields were taking their final blasts, Goofy pointed out a lone warp hole several hundred clicks away. The trio dove in without thinking twice.

On the other side was a small scattering of planets, a sight that gave them a small victory to celebrate. They took refuge on the closest one, a gold tinged world with blue twining through the aureate patches. They let the ship start up its nanomachine technology, another lucky gummi find, and set out to find out more about the world while their transportation mended.

They had landed in a world struck with hatred and anger. Called "New Lands", the world was at war. Ships carrying several pale-skinned men had come from a place called "England", somewhere from beyond the sea, and they had landed in the territories on a search for gold. They had not been expecting that the land they had come to was already inhabited by a tribe of darker-skinned individuals whom were given the term "Natives" by some of the nicer men, and "Savages" by many of the others. The _Natives_ had been cautious in welcoming the strangers to their home, which was interpreted as a hostile movement by the _Englanders_. Soon led to believe that the _Natives _were hiding the "golden" treasure and sought to chase the _Englanders _away, the _Englanders _started attacking any of the _Natives_ they saw while removing trees and hunting any animal that wandered near their encampment. Confused and angered by this unwarranted abuse of their home, the _Natives_ declared both sides to be at war. The strife between the two people only deepened as each side began to lose more and more loved ones, people existing one moment and disappearing the next.

Sora, Donald and Goofy barely escaped being dragged into a heated exchange of gunfire and arrows, led away by a persistent whispering that seemed to be in the very wind blowing by them. Stumbling into a bush, they held their breath at the sound of a commanding voice shouting out to his men to continue attacking, claiming that the "_savages_" had summoned a barrage of creatures called the Heartless to build their numbers to win the war. Sora risked peeking through the leaves and saw that the one shouting the orders was laughing to himself with tendrils of darkness swirling about his feet. The General was named Radcliffe, and from past experience, the trio of Light knew that he was the one who brought the Heartless to that world.

The wind whispered to them again, pulling them through several spats with rogue Heartless to a young _Native_ woman named Pocahontas who was trying to talk out the situation with an _Englander_ named John Smith. Both knew that there was something wrong with their friends, expecting animosity but not to this extent. Sora approached them with what he overheard, trying to help. As he spoke, the willow tree behind the Pocahontas and John Smith awoke.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Hey Sora?" Goofy glanced over his shoulder after several extended moments of silence. The skies were clear for the time being, which was a relief as they puttered towards the next world. Sora gave a half-hearted acknowledgement, but didn't open his eyes, still half-lost in thought. "Whatcha thinkin' about? You've been awfully quiet lately."

Sora pressed his lips together, not used to hearing worry in Goofy's normally laid-back voice. He admitted to himself that he didn't talk as much as he used to, but he also didn't want to discuss a lot of the concerns that were constantly on his mind. The problems bothered him enough; he didn't want to burden his comrades with them too.

"Earth to Sora." Donald quacked, not looking away from the windshield but equally curious to hear the answer. "You fall asleep again?"

"No." He grimaced, not liking his sarcastic tone when he was being worried over, but he had been keeping quiet so that they wouldn't be concerned. "I just…I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, you know that Donald an' I won't pry, but sometimes, we do kinda wanna help you more." Goofy dispensed with a lone Heartless ship before it turned around and started shooting. Donald kept driving, offering agreement when the time arose. "'Cause we know we can't help you use them Keys, but we're always here for ya."

"Okay…" Sora sighed, sensing a defeat in his path and hurt feelings if he turned away. "At the moment, I'm trying to make sense about what Grandmother Willow told me."

"The one who taught us to listen to the wind?" Donald turned the ship around an asteroid, commenting on the new magic technique that he and Sora could summon with the power of the wind. Unlike Aeroga, which formed a powerful albeit temporary shield, Naturga allowed them to hear the rustle of leaves and the whispers found in the world and combine them into a powerful scattershot of magic. If Goofy assisted, the magic gathered more power.

"Yeah…"

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"You're learning fast, young Keyblade Master."

Sora continued his steps despite the longing to be distracted by the kind, grandmotherly voice emitting from the willow tree behind him. He swung Oblivion at another leaf target while guarding his side with Oathkeeper. His strikes were slow, still in the testing phase to make sure his movements didn't tangle the Keyblades and end the fight before his opponent could even strike. He breathed in the whispers of the wind, catching the twist and flip of his tangerine and auburn targets before striking. Magic cracked down his arms and flickered through his fingertips, waiting to be formed into an element to serve Sora's needs. In the fading gold and apple red spreading over the land as the sun began to lower, Sora was a figure of intrigue and danger.

"The New Lands" had been saved from the war of two sides, the Heartless finally vanquished and the Keyhole sealed anew. Donald and Goofy were checking on the camps, wanting to be sure that the darkness had left the hearts of those who survived. Tomorrow, the three travelers would continue on their journey to protect the other worlds and to continue searching for the power that King Mickey had told them about. Sora had wanted a few more hours of practice under the careful watch of the wise willow tree that Pocahontas called "Grandmother Willow". "Your techniques are improving and your magic is much stronger than it was a week ago."

Sora braided both blades through the air, shifting into an offensive strike to handle the onslaught of leaves scattering towards him. The stance stood for almost a minute, Sora standing his ground despite the few arrow-shaped leaves that made it through and struck him. A week before, he'd have given up after taking damage, but after several thoughtful talks with the magical flora, Sora began to understand that some injuries could be expected so long as he continued on to victory. The Heartless wanted him to surrender; he could not let that happen.

"Only five. A new record."

Sora flopped down at Grandmother Willow's tangled roots, imagining himself seated in her lap; the image strengthened when several branches reached down to brush some of the rogue leaves from his hair. Sora blushed, embarrassed to be thinking like a child when it was only a tree, but as he thought about his own grandmother, who would bake cookies for him and fuss with his hair while he indulged in the chocolate chip heaven, he decided it wasn't such a foolish thought.

"I still feel like I'm taking too long to learn. I bet Riku got this kind of thing in a couple of days."

Grandmother Willow laughed at the sulky tones of the Keyblade Master. "Young man, it seems you can't see the forest for the trees."

"What?" Sora glanced up, one branch still tangled in his spiky brown locks. Grandmother Willow chuckled again, pleased to have had the chance to use that apt adage.

"You're so busy looking at all of the trees ahead of you that you cannot see the bigger forest where more than just sword training exists." Sora paused for a moment trying to think about Grandmother Willow's explanation but nothing came to mind; his eyes, blue as a cloudless sky, only reflected his current predicament. "Think of the worlds you have helped, the lives you have changed, the friends you have made."

"Oh…" Sora murmured, catching the ripple of memories that Grandmother Willow had created in the river of his mind. The thoughts didn't cheer him up in the end though, as he ended on the memory of being pulled from Riku and Kairi. "I'd give anything to see them again…" He thought the wish had been silent, but the hum of his tongue suggested otherwise.

"I would take heed to a wish like that, Sora..." Grandmother Willow spoke soft but firm, the two extremes blending over Sora's tired body. Sora snapped to attention, having never heard his name from her before. Grandmother Willow continued to speak to him in titles or diminutive terms, but never his name. "I'm sure you've experienced how the darkness takes people up on that offer..."

Sora flinched, having too many examples to offer up, including Radcliffe, the most recent. He knew that most of them were dark and mean individuals to start with, but they became much more dangerous when their intentions could be exchanged for their heart. Including…

"The heart does strange things for something it desires. But as good as intentions can be, impatience leads to disaster. Be careful what you wish for, or at least how you wish for it. You'll do the ones you care about no good if your heart is no longer with you."

Sora nodded, closing his eyes, thinking about Riku harder than ever. He didn't know what Maleficent had told his best friend back then, and had been so wrapped up in trying to save Kairi "the right way" that he didn't even consider why Riku would be willing to work with someone so dark. Riku's method had been faster; he had located Kairi in almost half the time and had figured out where her heart was too. But the price had been…

When Sora opened his eyes, he saw colours, myriad shades in the leaves as they danced on the breeze in the zenith of the evening twilight. He couldn't speak, only watch as Nature responded to the reason and light in his heart. Grandmother Willow smiled, pleased to see the faith of Nature offering its strength to the young boy destined to return the worlds to peace.


	10. Dormant Answers

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Dormant Answers  
**

_I'm worried about you, Riku. Your heart is going to crack under all of that pressure…_

...

...

"You're going down, Tidus!"

"Ow! No, I won't give in that easily!"

"Fine, have it your way!"

"N-No, wait a minute! Aaaah!" A loud splash drowned out the fair-haired boy's protests. Tidus immediately broke the surface, coughing and sputtering after having fallen from the Paopu Islet. The water was shallow three-quarters of the way around, but right at the back, it went straight down. The main players on Destiny Islands made sure to reinforce the ladder at the back to make climbing back up easier. "Aw man, I'm either really off or I'm really losing it," Tidus whined, pulling himself out of the water.

"Hey Mon! You lost to her again? I think that act of... umm... what's it called?"

"Chivalry, Wakka." The victor called out, pretending to sheathe her weapon.

"Yeah, that's it. If that's what you're trying to pull, I suggest you stop before you get hurt, Mon."

"Yah Tidus. I'll be able to beat you at this rate."

"Shut up, Selphie. It's not like you or Wakka beat her." Tidus complained. "When did you get so good at this, Kairi?"

The 15-year-old girl ran a hand through her battle-messy maroon hair, pleased to have another battle won. Her dark blue eyes glistened in the sunlight. "I've always liked it and have knowledge on the subject, Tidus. I just decided to start practicing again is all." Kairi glanced up at the sky, keeping her true reason to herself. Having a weapon in her hands, trying to become a part of the games that she would watch between Riku and Sora made her feel closer to them. She would always play the judge of the batter, though it was generally the same result every time because she liked to watch her two friends compete. Now, she wanted to be part of the action.

"Up for another round?" Kairi gripped the wooden sword again, mimicking one of Sora's ready poses.

"Naw, I'm supposed to be doing chores at home…" Tidus rubbed the back of his head where he had smacked it off a coconut tree beforehand. The excuse was legitimate, but it didn't stop Wakka and Selphie from teasing him. They equally had other things they were supposed to be doing and bid Kairi a good day as they raced back towards their boats, tormenting Tidus across the beach.

"Good. I needed the break." Kairi sighed and tossed Sora's sword where she often found it, askance against the Paopu tree. The sensation of the wooden toy lingered in her palm, nudging shivers down her back. She had gotten tired of just sitting and waiting and sitting more. Sora and Riku and a habit of wanting to keep her safe; helping her get back to the Islands was their latest act of white-knighting her away from the danger. She suspected that they wanted her to sit and relax, that she might be in the way, but she couldn't take being idle any longer.

After a moment, Kairi lifted herself onto the trunk of the fate-tying Paopu tree, laying down along its curved structure the Sora always would, closing her eyes to give herself some time to think.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"If you want Kairi, I can teach you how to wield a blade. It might take a bit, but if you practice, I'll bet you can be better than even Riku."

Kairi lifted her head, struck by the words that reached out a world of possibilities to her. She had always been content to be a spectator until she had become the only one who didn't play-fight with everyone else. Even the newest person to come to the Islands could take on Sora and Riku and was always enjoying herself. Kairi wanted that chance too, but was then hindered by the thought of Sora and Riku believing she wasn't strong enough to battle them. "Really? You would do that for me?"

The taller girl ran her fingers through her hair. Kairi marveled at the way her fingers skimmed through the obsidian strands until they reached the scarlet tips at the end; she still wasn't used to her friend's odd hair colouring, even if it was natural. She also liked how her friend could mimic Riku's favourite final pose without looking cheesy the way Sora did. Kairi was certain she would get her fingers tangled and look even more ridiculous than Sora did.

"Well sure Kairi. I can tell you want to learn."

Kairi flushed, embarrassed that her thoughts could be so transparent when she tried to look content at having things always be the same. She couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy over being unable to join in with everyone's games too, despite being friends with them since they were children.

Lost in her thoughts, Kairi didn't notice another sword being tossed at her until the object struck her hands and nearly tumbled down to the sand under her feet.

"Hm. Lesson one: Attention and sword holding."

Kairi giggled, despite herself, pleased to know that she wasn't the inconvenience she had believed herself to be. She tried to hold the sword the way she believed it to be held, and was immediately corrected.

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Why did you leave… Why? Weren't you happy here with us?" Kairi winced, thinking of an unpleasant memory. She hadn't been able to help then either. Couldn't help anyone. She sighed with frustration, angry that she had such an important heart, one that had to hide in Sora's for protection, and yet she couldn't stop Riku's world from descending into the darkness, couldn't remain with Sora when he left to bring Riku back.

"I told him that I'd always be with him because our hearts are connected, but that just isn't enough."

_~~"You have a strong heart, Kairi. I can show you how to find Sora and Riku with it. You'll have the edge in all of your games. You'll never lose them again."~~_

Kairi's opened her eyes, finally remembering the answer.

* * *

_**READERS!** I am currently in the process of re-writing DToF because the first version was done before I had any practice in writing stories. Now, I want it to reflect how I've grown. I have completed my revision of chapters 1-10. **PLEASE! **Do not read further - I am not deleting chapters yet, because I don't want to hurt the posted reviews until I have to. Anything past Chapter 10 still needs fixing! I promise to message people when the story is revised throughout! _

_Thank you!_


	11. A Wicked Wind Blows

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and the trenchcoats from _Another Side, Another Story_. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Most original characters belong to me, excluding any characters listed beneath the disclaimer. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like the Final Mixes, is completely coincidental.

Thank you.

Mina (c) LimstellaLebrun (deviantArt)

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Wicked Wind Blows... **

_Man, Riku. You always know what to do. I wish I could be more like you._

...

...

The rain never stopped, always falling with the same rhythmic pace unless the wind swirled into the mix; the drops now stung Riku's cheeks, pricking his skin from temperature and repetition. He didn't notice, more concerned with keeping his heart neutral and steady. To show interest in the words of a shadowed figure, the only humanoid figure he'd seen in the months of being trapped on this world would be to welcome danger back into his life. He'd already thrown his friends and home away once on a tainted offer.

"Care to explain that statement?"

The figure in the alleyway made no physical sign of acknowledgement to the demand, only taking two steps onto the street. She wore the same trenchcoat as the teenager she approached, but the zipper was left open; beneath the coat was a red cloak bound at the middle with a grey corset, with a cross imprinted on the abdomen. Both the coat and the cloak revealed her legs, bare except for a pair of shorts with black bands across her thighs, knee-high boots, and a belt just above her right knee. Her hood was up, shielding the finer details of her face from the dim of street lights. Riku couldn't see his "messenger", eyes hidden behind a thin strip of black fabric, knowing she is female by voice.

"Is that really necessary? You know exactly what I mean." The hooded stranger, Mina, crossed her arms and leaned against the stone building behind her. She fussed with the hood of her coat for a moment, deciding it was better to keep it up while in the rain.

Riku bristled, lifting his shoulders like a cornered cat. He had very little options, that same helplessness grabbing at his body and holding him down. Walk away in an attempt to look cool and he could lose his only lead or reveal the depths of his weaknesses by bowing down for the answer. Neither option appealed to his parched throat, but he couldn't risk the loss. Not when he'd sacrificed so much before now.

"Let's suppose I do." Riku crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby light post, mimicking the stranger's posture without being aware of it. The post was not a comfortable choice but he refused to have his changing positions read as anxiety. "And what if I choose not to believe it?"

Thunder crackled after its lightning partner, weaving in and out of the pauses left between the verbal swordplay. Mina cocked her head to the side, suspecting numerous fractures in Riku's façade, yet not quite certain which would cause the most pain with the least amount of effort. She waited a couple moments more, trying to decide on the best course of action. Her mission was to bring Riku back into the fold, a treat of a job. Push too little or too hard and her only ending would be a fight. Not ideal, not in the mood. Mina didn't want to be in the storm much longer either.

"Well now, that would be terribly unfortunate." Mina rolled her shoulders through another spectacle of light and sound. "What with _her _being so close and all." She trailed her words through the splatter of rain on asphalt, glancing down the street with an impatient plump in her lips.

'_Damn her..._' Riku bit down on his tongue but the pain did little to hold back the darker emotions rising in his chest. He had been fighting so hard, for so long, and every time he came close to his goal, he found an iron clad gate locked in his path. All of his hints, his information and discoveries always came from someone else, dangled in front of his face as a treat for behaving. He was so sick of being five steps behind his enemies. "And why should I trust your word? Maleficent told me _she _didn't exist and while I fell for Ansem's illusion once, I will not do so again." The admission took the only available breath in his lungs; he tried not to let it show, but with his stomach twisting and his heart pounding, he couldn't help a couple of gasps to replenish it.

A low, hushed voice curled at his ear, whispering little secrets. Riku tried to ignore it, focus on the rain but the injury on his arm flared up, the scars reviving the sensation of long, bladed teeth slicing muscle and sinew. He gritted his teeth, trying to hide the strain from showing on his face, knowing he was likely unsuccessful.

"It was not an illusion; he never once lied to you, Riku." Mina rolled her jaw back and forth, struggling not to utter the name "traitor", despite the satisfaction it might have given. She had no interest in offering him another chance to chicken out and dismantle her Master's plans, but her instructions were clear. They needed his assistance regardless of personal disagreement, so convincing him was the only option. Unfolding her arms, Mina slipped her right hand into her pocket and pulled out a childishly made pendant caught in her fist. "I take it you won't lift that blindfold, so I'll just detail my proof for you."

Riku sank his teeth into the inside of his cheek, forcing his body to breathe at an even pace, despite knowing how loud his heartbeat must be echoing in the ears of creatures hoping to taste it again. He suspected this stranger could hear the rapid rhapsody too.

"I'm currently holding a rather childlike locket, "chained" with a piece of black cord. There's a picture inside of four people on a beach of sorts." Mina crinkled her nose, displeased by the four sunlit smiles staring back at her. The case around the photo is strong, protecting against the repetitive splatters of raindrops. Plumping her bottom lip into a sulk, Mina contemplated exposing the picture to the water and letting it damage the memory permanently. She doesn't, not seeing the purpose behind the fleeting emotive urge. "The pre-teens look very much like you, Sora, Kairi, and-"

"Nrgh!" Riku tightened his right hand as hard as his knuckles will allow; trying to do the same with his left threatened to bring his knees to the street. "Why do you have that?" He coughed, tasting imaginary blood, pain writhing through his arm. His heart won't quiet, won't slow, refusing to deny what was said. This wasn't an illusion; even if the figure was lying about the pendant, the fact that she'd seen it meant only one thing.

"That's not important." Mina snapped the locket shut with a click, then stuffed the necklace back in her coat pocket. "Let's burn the hedges, huh?" She stood up from the wall, rolling her shoulders in preparation for resistance. She didn't have time for a battle nor the interest, but she wouldn't refuse if their pawn laid down a challenge. Lightning snapped, thunder gurgled, the rain coursed rivers between them, but Riku didn't attack, didn't resist. His arms fell to his side, helpless.

"What do you want." His voice doesn't lilt the statement into a question, deadened within the storm.

"Since you have donned our coat, you will not refuse." Mina looked Riku up and down, pausing for effect, allowing for a protest. One of her companions had left a pair of coats within the grasp of Riku and King Mickey to gauge their "dependability". Riku didn't hesitate, not given any prompts, merely accepting. The tension in his jaw and the clench in his teeth recalled the memory of his decision. No protest rose up. "Listen closely, we need the Golden Keyblade to unlock a certain barrier, and we don't intend for your companion to be the one wielding the key."

"You want me to steal the King's Keyblade?" Riku shouted through a thunderclap, plucked from his haze and dropped into nothingness. Mina's delicate phrasing did nothing to hide the ugly shadow lurking behind it. He hadn't misheard, shaking his head hard enough to revive a dull throb in his temple. "No, that...I can't," he whispered into the storm.

"Call it what you want. That's what we require." Mina slipped her hands into her pockets and turned to make her exit. She considered imposing a time limit, but shook off the thought. Other preparations were still needed; she'd push later if needed.

"But the Keyblades are bound to their wielders." Riku called out. His voice wavered, the defiance lost, leaving only defeat in its wake. He abused his lower lip with sharp bites, wishing he'd refused, not queried the impossibility of what he'd been assigned. He'd meant to, but the words came out wrong. He shook his head again, trying to keep his thoughts in a single line. "It will just return to him. I...I can't."

Riku bore another wave of provoked agony, desperate for something physical to focus on. To distract from his wavering intentions.

Mina shrugged, her eyes lazily watching the Heartless skulking in the alleys and corridors. "Then I suggest you use that pretty little head to reason out a solution." A slow glance over the shoulder was all Mina offered Riku. "Steal, convince, kill, I don't care. Just don't waste my time."

She disappeared before Riku could argue further, stepping into a black and indigo portal and exiting the rain and cold. As her presence faded, so did Riku's strength. Only a cold stone remained in the center of his chest, his heartbeat bled to nothing. Again. It had happened again. He had tried, struggled on his own to try and do things the right way. Only to have the enemy hold him in check with only one foreseeable move before checkmate. Again.

'_I can't… I can't betray the King… Not after all that I've done…_'

His thoughts drifted away, taking the remaining strength from his legs as they left; he collapsed to his knees into a deep puddle, splashing rain water back into the sky for a second fall back to the streets. The unhealed wound on his left arm flared up, searing the muscles with the burn of that Heartless' teeth, but it paled in comparison to the pain behind his eyes. A bystander would have only seen rain soaking his cheeks.

Riku knew better.


	12. At the Heart of Both Worlds

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 12: At the Heart of Both Worlds**

_I could never forget you…_

...

...

"So what do you hope to find on this expedition, Milo?"

"Well, Sora, I want to prove the existence of the mystical Atlantis." The lanky researcher pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose with his palm as he spoke, adjusting an ancient book to his opposite arm while he continued forward. His speech was quick and enthused, spurred by the renewal of interest someone was taking in his study, even if it was a strange boy and two stranger companions.

"Well, uh, if it's mythical, then how'd ya know it actually exists?"

"That's what I'm hoping to prove, uh, Goofy." Milo wasn't sure about the name for what looked like a giant, bipedal dog walking at his other side, but after nearly being eaten by a mechanical Kraken outside of the tunnels, he decided the path to Atlantis held many secrets. "I've studied all of my life to prove its existence on maps and in ancient texts, and—" Milo's foot hit a big, unmoving rock and the cartographer launched forward, his book flying out in front of him. "The Shepard's Journal!"

No one else in the traveling group made a move to try and aid their obsessive map reader, all trudging forward as Sora dove into an elegant somersault and caught the old text before it struck the dusty, stony ground, or worse, plunged off the bridge they were approaching. A couple of them paused at the acrobatic display that Sora put on, while the main troop of vehicles marched forward without them. Sora gave a concerned look towards the uninterested party ahead of him, but said nothing towards them, instead returning to Milo and handing the book back to him as Goofy gave the embarrassed man a hand up. Milo swept the Journal back into his arms with a rapid "thank you". Sora laughed in return.

"Aw phooey! You only think this "other world" exists?" Donald grumbled, unhappy about being constantly watched as if her were trouble by many of the explorers. He had tried to convince Sora to avoid them while both groups met at a shadowed intersection, but Sora insisted that they needed to know which way to go and choosing a group with a map sounded good at the time. He also wanted to find King Mickey and this constant wandering left him restless. "Aren't you risking a lot on a guess?"

"Believe me, duck! You're not the only one thinking that." Audrey Ramirez piped off, nudging the left strap of her overalls back over her shoulder. She only came up to Sora's shoulders, but she had enough confidence and attitude to make up for the lacking height. She, like most of the others, were tiring of Milo's continual faith speech when they only found more paths and dirt, but her interest in hearing about their mission revived a little when Sora, Goofy and Donald appeared in the otherwise barren tunnels, adding a little bit of spice to the tedium.

"Come on, Donald? Aren't you interested in knowing if it's true?" Sora asked, his mind spinning with the possibilities of finding a lost world and maybe Riku and the King while they were down there. The King's note hadn't stated where he and Riku were, so Sora continued to hope that each world might be _the _world that would let him see his best friend again.

"Maybe." Donald conceded, catching onto Sora's thinking about what they might find in the world they had landed on. Under normal circumstances, the Gummi ship usually transported them to the surface of the world, but they ended up underground this time, which was enough of a hint to encourage the trio to keep their hopes up.

"So, why are you down here if you're not searching for Atlantis?" Dr. Sweet stepped closer to the huddle, following Audrey's example of interest in the three strangers. The question gathered more eyes glancing in the direction of the forming cluster around Milo, many wondering the same thing. After a moment, the whole group stopped forging through the cavern and drew silent as if the world were waiting to know the answer. Sora looked around, fighting back a lump in his throat. He, Donald and Goofy were not supposed to meddle in the affairs of a world unless the Heartless were somehow involved, so saying on the outset that they did not come from that world at all had been decided as a "no-no" topic. Problem was that couldn't determine a cover story until they knew the world situation, and by then, it was too late.

"To be honest, we're not really sure how we ended up down here." Sora ruffled the hair at the back of his neck, trying not to stammer as he attempted to weave a cover story out of nothing; it wasn't a strong suit of his, but Sora was relying on his desperation. "We were exploring the deep parts of the ocean one minute, and the next, we were wandering this maze of underground tunnels." He glanced at Donald, who nodded, and Goofy, who looked confused until Donald elbowed him and then he nodded as well. For a moment, Sora's throat dried out, his heart pounding and insisting he was screwed. In a mild squeak, he tried to pass the tension back to Milo.

"Sooooo…uhhh, Milo!" The baffled linguist jumped at hearing his name "If so many people don't believe in Atlantis, why is there such a hidden interest?" Though Sora had thrown the question out of his mouth without thinking about it, he became immediately curious to know the answer. And, much to Sora's relief, the rest of the explorers aimed their eyes elsewhere as the entire crew began to set up camp.

"Well Sora, though people are skeptical of its existence, they are drawn to its legend."

"Uh, and whut legund is that?" Goofy asked before anyone else could utter it.

"It is thought that Atlantis is located at the 'heart' of this world. And buried deep within Atlantis is a great power of untold strength. The Shepard's Journal talks of a tribe of people who guard this power because if it ever fell into the wrong hands, the results would be disastrous." Milo thumbed the cover of his text, his eyes alive with passion and curiosity. Those who stopped to listen looked personally intrigued as well.

'_At the _heart_ of the world?_' Sora shifted his gaze to Donald and Goofy, both of whom returned the look with equal eagerness. They needed to find the Keyhole that would seal away the heart of the world from the Heartless anyway, but the chance of finding a "great power" got their own hearts excited. So far, they'd discovered nothing about the "power force" that the King had talked about, so this chance was too big to pass up. Along the edges of his thoughts, Sora felt warmth resonating from his Keyblade, hidden away until he was in trouble; something was there and he needed to know what, no matter what.

"A great power, huh?" The gruff voice of Commander Rourke entered the fray as the tall, overly muscular leader of the expedition left his state of exasperation and strode over to Milo's side. "And what would this power enable you to do?" Milo flinched, out of shock at Rourke's sudden presence and concern over the lip-licking tone of his voice. Sora felt the same way, edging towards Donald and Goofy.

"Um, well, the 'Shepard's Journal'," Milo explained, holding up his treasured book, "states that the power takes on many forms, but there is a passage that is more specific…" Milo flipped the text open and skimmed several pages of foreign words until he found the section he wanted. "It says here that, 'whoever holds the power of Atlantis holds the ability to wield the power of Light or Darkness, depending on the holder and can hold a world's fate in his hands'.

"There is one section that confuses me though; something about a key that locks worlds to the darkness. Since the power is well sought, the one who holds the key determines fate itself. But that's all and I have no clue as to what this key is supposed to be…" Milo flipped through the nearby pages, hoping to see if he misread a passage sometime before. Sora glanced at Donald and Goofy again, but all three kept quiet.

"Hmmm…that is fascinating," Helga Sinclair, the second in command to Rourke, stepped forward, her lip curling up with a curious tilt. "I once heard a legend of a Keywielder whose destiny was to defeat the darkness and open some strange door. Maybe those stories are related?"

"Hmmm…could be…" Milo stammered, half listening to Helga and half buried in his book again. Before the conversation could continue, Cookie, the Louisianan redneck left in charge of the rations called out for people to come over and eat. Sora tried to back away from the offer, but Audrey grabbed his arm and pointed him, Donald and Goofy towards the campfire area. He immediately followed orders, worried the young woman was going to punch him again, as she had done also ten minutes after they first met.

There wasn't much eating that happened, most still unable to stomach too much of Cookie's taste in meal preparation, but the conversations were amiable. Condensed past histories were exchanged, anecdotes were given. As the meal portion dwindled and bed started to be set up, a loud quack broke the serenity as Donald took a step towards a free area of space and disappeared into the ground. Sora immediately raced to the scene, fearing the worst of the Heartless were hiding in the soil.

"My tunnel! My beautiful tunnel! You brainless duck! What have you done?" Sora whipped around and saw Moliere, the geologist and dirt specialist of the group, wailing and shaking his fists at the fallen duck. Sora thought it made sense that Moliere loved the dirt so much; he looked and acted very rodent like. He extended a hand down to Donald, suspecting the hole was a caved-in area that Moliere had gathered for himself.

Donald almost jumped out of the tunnel in a rage, using Sora as leverage. "Why didn't you say you were building a tunnel around here? You're lucky I'm not hurt!"

"What? How dare you! You should be more respectful of the dirt and its beauty, not stepping around without consideration." Moliere's narrowed his goggles into points, purposely invading Donald's space.

"Why I oughta…" Donald fumed, jumping up and down with his wings curled up into fists; Sora kept him back, insisting they'd just camp somewhere else. Eventually Donald submitted and stomped to where Goofy had begun setting up their campsite. Sora snickered to himself and turned towards Moliere, who had turned back to his ruined handiwork and began fussing with the soil.

"Sorry about that." For a moment, Sora received nothing but incoherent mumblings before Moliere perked up and looked in the teenager's direction.

"Oh, yes, I meant to give something to you…" After several rummages in his pockets and dust cloud showers, Moliere fished out a rectangular locket and handed it to Sora. "Ah, there, no go. Go, go, go! I need to fix this." Moliere shoved a baffled and almost uncooperative Sora in the direction of his companions and returned to his tunnel as if the exchange had not occurred.

Sora cradled the object in his hands, his azure eyes darkening as he stepped towards the pitched tent. Goofy glanced over and noticed Sora's dazed pacing. "Gawrsh, Sora, are you okay?"

"You guys, I think Riku might be here…" Sora whispered, his gaze focused only on the object in his hands. "When we were kids, we each got a locket like this. It isn't mine and Kairi is at home, so…" Sora placed his palm over the aureate frame, feeling the memories fill his heart while Donald and Goofy brightened at the prospect of seeing their King once more.


	13. Unraveling Memories

___Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and the trenchcoats from _Another Side, Another Story_. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Most original characters belong to me, excluding any characters listed beneath the disclaimer. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like the Final Mixes, is completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Unraveling Memories**

_Even the sweetest rose carries hidden thorns, Sora…_

…

…

_No… Not this again…_

Sora blinked his eyes open, tasting water in his throat, watching bubbles trail away from his lips and nose, unfazed that he wasn't suffocating. His stomach turned, unsettled by his weightless freefall through nothingness. Sora closed his eyes, then clenched his hands, his knuckles raising the studs on the indigo band stretched over his new black gloves. He didn't want to be here, losing his sense of control. Falling through a dream, now his memories, the events leading to the destruction of his home.

_I just want to sleep…_

Sora tilted his body back, purposely initiating his spiral towards the sun speckled beach of Destiny Islands where he would see Riku in the water and his attempts to get to him would result in a wave that would knock him back. He sighed, disheartened that he never had the strength to push through the water, the darkness and save his friend from disaster.

_You can't change the past, Sora. _

Azure eyes glared through the murky depths, finding neither Destiny Islands nor the unknown voice interrupting the path of his recurring dream. He could no longer taste water, but the bubbles still leaked from every breath he took. He swept his head to and fro, trying to see something, anything; his efforts were eventually rewarded and denied. Sora could see a glass floor off in the distance, the colour similar to the blue-green of Riku's eyes in one blink and the deeper blue-violet of Kairi's the next. His heart pulsed a warning as he continued to freefall down, parallel to the platform seeming to call his name.

_You can only work to shape the future._

Furrowing his eyebrows, Sora stiffened his body and concentrated on gliding, an ability taught to him by Peter Pan over a year ago. His dreams always directed his path, but he wanted to see that platform and had no intention of blindly ignoring it. After a moment, Sora wasn't sure his determination was the cause of his success, but his feet soon gravitated his body towards an image of himself upon a sea of medium blue. His body was almost in profile as it spanned from one side of the circle to the other. The outside rim looked like threaded ribbons, two pieces weaving in and out of one another for eternity. The inner circles were small, bearing symbols that he continued to face on his journey, stars, crowns, key and keyhole. Sora looked towards the center portion of the platform, seeing two bigger circles devoted to Donald and Goofy seated in front of his image, where his face was turned. Another circle was by his forehead, showing Kairi. Sora then looked behind his picture, and saw Riku behind his shoulder blades. And under that, nearest the Keyblade seated in his hand, there was another circle, but the image within was only a shadow.

"Weird…" Sora murmured as he finally stood upon the solid surface, his legs a little shaky. He glanced around, seeing no bubbles, suspecting that he was in "air" again, but quickly turned back to the stained glass plane beneath him. He walked over the image of him in his older clothes, a white vest and red jumpsuit with big, yellow shoes, taking a moment to glance over the clothes he had found hidden in the Gummi ship two weeks back; his vest was now black with white trim seated over a navy shirt that parted at the stomach to show part of his old red jumpsuit before a simple black belt tucked both parts of his shirt away. Red pouches with black straps over them sat on his hips while his legs now bore navy pants with black waders over top; more belts and yellow straps spanned the pants as well. His shoes were still yellow, but a black cover over the front and most of the sides toned down the yellow colour around the back and at his ankles.

Sora wasn't sure why he didn't suspect the appearance of the clothes; he just needed something that would fit and had too many other things on his mind to be wondering about the random appearance of clothing. His musing didn't last long as he continued over to the unknown figure posted near his Keyblade. Sora tilted his head from left to right, trying to decide whom was hidden in the silhouette; when nothing crossed him, Sora slumped in posture, feeling foolish for not knowing when the throb of his heart told him he should.

"It's a shame how a shadow can ruin such a beautiful picture…"

Sora spun 180 degrees, startled by the melodic drift of a female voice from behind him. The speaker showed no specific characteristics, clothed in knee-high black boots and a hood-up black trenchcoat zipped from thigh to collar. Sora's eyebrows tangled at the center of his forehead as he stepped forward, demanding explanations. The figure knelt down instead, tracing a gloved hand along the image of Kairi's jaw.

"Your friends of light are ahead of you, standing guard, and she," the woman pulled her hand away and stood, "she is always on your thoughts."

Sora flinched, feeling exposed by the statement; he hadn't considered such an interpretation of the platform. The coated figure paid him no mind, drifting over "Sora's shoulder" with quiet clacks of heels on glass.

"He betrayed you, stabbed you in the back." The figure paused in front of Riku's circle, looking down with a tilt of the head. "Yet he is your friend, so you hold him close to your heart to forgive him."

"Look, what do you want?" Sora clenched his fists, trying to keep himself steady. He hated this unending feeling of being helpless, of being the last person to understand what was happening to his life. The hooded woman pulled her gaze from the floor and gazed in Sora's direction, then trailed down to where he was standing.

"Good. You forgot about me."

At the edge of his thoughts, Sora heard explosions and screams for help, his name woven in strangled fear. He shook his head, going towards the hooded figure with clumsy, weighted steps. "What's that mean?"

"It's a shame that Riku didn't…"

Sora perked up at hearing Riku's name, stumbling away from the continued sound intrusion, wanting to hear more about his friend. "Wait…What did I forget?"

"Things would have been so much simpler."

Sora fell to his knees, struggling to hear.

"Don't lose sight of what's most important, Sora."

"Wait!"

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"Sora! Sora!"

Goofy shook his friend much harder, struggling to wake the unconscious Keyblader while dust, rocks and explosions rocked the entire cave around them. Donald cast several more spells of Graviga and Aeroga, trying to guard the three of them, but the boulders and spell attacks still kept coming; Goofy summoned his King's shield, trying to hold it over Sora while still fighting to wake him. "Sora! Wake up!"

"Wait!" Sora jolted upright, slamming his head against the barrier protecting him. The impact stunned him but not long enough to cause concern as his thoughts of his dream melted under the raging fires in the tunnel they had fallen asleep in. "Goofy? Donald? What—"

"It's the Heartless!" The announcement was unnecessary; Sora narrowed his eyes on the swarm of mechanical lobster-like creatures scuttling over the campsite and exploration equipment. Their over-sized pincers tore at the metal and smacked against anyone who tried to remove the creatures by force. Shooting bullets only ended in ricochets and human injuries, leaving the explorers with a serious problem. Sora clenched his hands against the ground, stuck, his head half-filled with his unexplained dream and half-struck with caution at revealing who he was to certain individuals in the group.

The decision was made without him.

"My book! It's got the Shepard's Journal!" Milo cried, racing after a large tin bird, its wings pieced together in a fan shape, and the Shepard's Journal snatched in its elongated beak. The gangly linguist attempted to jump and grab onto the bird's legs, and received a sharp blow from the wings. The metal sliced into his flesh before hurtling him into the stone wall. He slumped to the ground, unconscious and vulnerable to the "lobster" Heartless swarm scuttling towards a new heart. Audrey grabbed a wrench and tried to fend them off, putting herself between Milo and the enemy but the stand-off would not last long. Sora winced, unable to just sit there on the ground, knowing he could stop this; Donald and Goofy felt the same, both looking at Sora with worry about exposing themselves and a need to protect their new allies from the enemy of all worlds.

The trio divided, splitting off into three separate directions to change the tide of battle. Donald twisted his Fire and Blizzard spells, using the first to melt the second and short-circuit the metal menaces. Goofy skidded around on his shield, shucking Lobsterites in every direction as he cleared paths for the humans to run through. Sora called Oblivion from the nothingness and Oathkeeper from its spot on his neck, both blades primed as he ran after the Journal thief. Several Heartless chased after him, lured by the sudden appearance of the Keyblade; Sora felled them with single strikes, his eyes locked on Milo's book. Taking a swipe at another bird swooping in, Sora flung Oathkeeper into the air, the key spiraling into a bulls-eye hit before returning to his hand. Sora struck the second bird with Oblivion again, cracking open its shingled body and releasing the heart within.

The battle did not last, the Heartless numbers dwindling beneath the combined efforts of Sora, Donald and Goofy. The crew stopped running and shooting, seeing little need to do so. Sora jumped into the air, scattering several blasts of raw energy from Oblivion's tip after the remaining airborne Heartless, and aimed Oathkeeper's blasts at the retreating Lobsterites by the digging equipment, the attack complete when his feet connected with the stone floor. Donald waddled over to the clustered crew and cast "Curaga" before any serious injuries took their toll. Goofy cleaned up by retrieving the Journal.

"You're the one?" Rourke remarked as he holstered his guns and stomped immediately in Sora's direction. By the time he was at Sora's side, the cautious teenager had bid Oathkeeper to return to its pendant state and had Oblivion clutched between his fingers. "You couldn't mention that beforehand?"

'_You're welcome…_' Sora glanced down, heading down the submissive route to avoid starting a new fight. "Um, I was kind of worried you would expect me to have a whole load of answers about _Atlantis_ if I told you, but I am just as lost as any of you about what I'm doing here." He knew the story was paper-thin but Sora hated lying, especially on the spot, because of moral implication and his inability to do it well. He saw the Rourke was eyeing up Oblivion while more of the crew started clustering around him. He tried to get eye-contact help from Goofy and Donald, but Helga was in his line of sight.

"Come on, Rourke. The kid don't know anything; you can tell by that clueless look in his eyes." Audrey offered in Sora's defense even if her choice of words did stab at Sora's ego a little bit. Dr. Sweet also deposited his two cents, reminding Rourke that they needed to find _Atlantis_ before they could start figuring out how a kid with a key was connected to the world.

"Hey, yuh, Milo, where ya goin'?" Goofy shouted as he lumbered down a newly opened tunnel, revealed sometime within the battle with the Heartless. Donald gave a baffled quack and ran after his companion. "Wait up!"

The rest of the group spun in the direction of the shouts, none of them having seen a crouching native in a giant, blue-swirled mask that had caught the Milo's attention. Sora discreetly dismissed Oblivion and made a mad dash after his friends, not caring why they were chasing Milo down, just happy to be escaping the subject of him being the "Keywielder". One by one, the excavation party followed the path being laid to the entrance to _Atlantis_.


	14. A Far Off Memory

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

**_

* * *

_**

**Chapter 14: A Far-Off Memory...**

_Why does it have to get complicated? In this moment, everything makes sense…_

_…_

_…_

Riku knew his procrastination was not going to solve his dilemma. He could not avoid the apartment forever; he'd either be struck with a fresh fever or the King would go into a state of worry and hunt him down. He could hide his truthful eyes behind the blindfold, but he wouldn't be able to say that things were fine with his voice free of subliminal doubt. He tried to draft his dialogue as he paced the building perimeter, but he could not avoid the snag of explaining his need of a Keyblade that didn't belong in his hands without telling Mickey anything about the situation at hand. It wasn't about a lack of trust or a smudge on their friendship, merely a concern that if Mickey knew what was going on, he would try to help and the deal would end in pieces.

Riku shook his head, disgusted with himself. He'd been wandering the streets since receiving his "mission", purposely avoiding a decision and the one person who could help him, had helped him so often before. His hair was uncomfortably heavy with rain and his coat was no longer keeping out the water, not with his hood lowered. Cold, wet and helpless as a child. For a moment, Riku allowed a small laugh, meek and tired.

"What should I do?"

His thoughts started to drift and he let them, wanting to remember when his life was simple, when tomorrow was just a little later on. His footsteps started in the right direction while his heart went the other.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"Hey Sora, watch out!" Donald quacked, though not with success. The tree stationed in the immediate direction of Sora's footsteps claimed its target, uncaringly smacking Sora back onto his butt. For a moment, the Keyblade Master could only sit and stare while red swelled over his forehead and the bridge of his nose, stunned and still locked up by an uncomfortable tightness in his chest.

"Gawrsh Sora, are you okay?" Goofy toddled over to his fallen comrade, settling a hand on Sora's shoulder to try and stir Sora from his blurry-eyed daze. The young boy did not immediately respond, appearing quite unaware that he should be in a great deal of pain. Dr. Sweet had knelt down to prepare an examination before Sora revealed his consciousness to be awake.

"My heart keeps beating really fast…" Sora murmured, touching a gloved hand to his breastbone. "Each time I think about Riku, my chest starts to hurt and my heartbeat gets quick."

"Riku is your friend, right?" Audrey queried while stuffing her hands deep in her overall pockets. "The one you were searching the ocean for?"

Donald inserted an agreement in Sora's place, carefully monitoring the cover story that he and Goofy designed while Sora had been listening to Audrey's explanation of transmissions and how to make stubborn machines run. They needed an explanation that would keep most of the suspicion aimed away from their presence in a world they didn't belong to, and since they saw Sora's preoccupation with Riku's well-being increasing, it was decided that Riku would be their current reason for being there

Sora's concern was proving accurate to their claims, even if his lack of focus was becoming a point of worry.

"He has silver hair, yes? This one, here?"

Sora glanced forward, startled by the soft, curious tones of their guide, a young woman of Atlantean origin, Kida, though her name still remained a mystery to the travelers. Her skin had a deep tan, reminding Sora of hot chocolate, the colour offset by her ivory white hair and the baby-blue paint streaks on her face. Around her neck was a pendant made out of a blue crystal, which was currently dangling in the air. She wore very little clothing, just a small binding over her breasts and a skirt made of separate pieces that left her legs mostly exposed. Had Sora not been focused on the open locket held out in Kida's palm, he'd have been blushing by that point.

"Yes…" Sora's lower lip pouted up, juxtaposing the happy smile on his younger picture face. Riku was also smiling, his wooden toy sword held into the air with pride, contrasting the felled one that belonged to Sora. It had been an unlucky day, several lost sword battles in a row, but they were all having too much fun that day to have it spoiled by him feeling like a sore loser.

"And she is?"

"Kairi." The edges of Sora's mouth twitched, threatening a smile as he saw a younger Kairi laughing and kneeling down to retrieve the sword for him, making the act seem more dramatic than it really was.

Kida thought about the picture for a moment, then pointed at one other person in the picture. "What about her?"

Any chance of a smile returning to Sora's mouth faded away. He had been hoping that no one would ask him about the other girl in the picture, standing off to Riku's side with her hand partially obscuring her laughter. He thought that meant she was more reserved than they had been, because he remembered the day being too much fun for any of them to be faking smiles and enjoyment. The troubling part was that he couldn't remember specifics about what had made it so fun, only believing with all his heart that it had been fun. What troubled him the most was that he couldn't remember how that other girl fit into the picture at all. She wasn't exactly plain or unmemorable, her hair mostly black, but red at the tips, She was almost Riku's height and even though the picture was small, he could tell her eyes were a similar blue-green to the ocean behind all of them.

All of the previous night, he thought about this picture and about this girl and why he couldn't remember and if Riku did and if that was why they were separated now.

"I…don't know…" He finally admitted under the weighted stares of his groupmates. He felt concern from Goofy and Donald, bewilderment from most of the Atlantis seekers and contemplative curiosity from their Atlantean guide. Sora was not too certain which he preferred.

Kida murmured something in another language, one that Sora could not even attempt guessing at. He assumed it was her natural language, though after a tense fencing of dialect between her and Milo when both groups, Atlanteans and explorers, met, Sora figured it could be any language along a spectrum of possibilities. Milo tilted his head towards one shoulder, which Sora took as a gesture of understanding, but neither chose to let him in on the message.

"Look, while I'm concerned that one of our group is suffering from a possible concussion, would it be too much to ask that we move forward?" Rourke intervened, having finally moved from his place at the front of the line in an effort to remind their guide of her promise to bring them into the Atlantis core so that they might speak with her father. After the other adventurers had tracked down and caught their wayward linguist after the battle in the tunnels, they stumbled across the entrance to a whole other world, buried within the core of their own. _Atlantis_. Just like the Journal had stated. It wasn't long until they were confronted by the natives who wore body length masks and thrust pointed spears at the explorers with angry, jumbled-sounding words stamping the air between them. Much to everyone's surprise, Milo has the one to save everyone from another battle.

While displeased with the insincere demand from the Commander, most of the group muttered similar wishes to their chests; they still felt concern for Sora and his distracted heart, but were still intoxicated with the success of the mission, and were preferential to continuing the high of exploration. Kida offered Sora an apologetic look as she handed back the locket necklace and stood to resume her guide duties.

Donald and Goofy dragged behind the precession, which walked on as Sora returned to his feet and glumly took to staring at the cover of the necklace on their journey towards the city of Atlantis. They exchanged more glances than two thieves plotting their attack, but neither could think of something to say to pull Sora back to their mission. Though equally in the dark about Sora's emotions and thoughts, they knew these mysteries and locked up memories were only going to worsen Sora's mental well-being and felt helpless to prevent that spiral.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

The civilization of Atlantis was larger than the explorers could have imagined. More than once, Donald overheard that no one expected people to be alive, and at least twice, Goofy picked up on a tension that seemed unnecessary when they had been welcomed into the city. Sora had been too busy mulling over his memory gap to notice either case, but as several children laughed and nearly tripped him in their attempts to tag one another, Sora turned his attention to the overall happiness of the ancient populous. It was quite the contrast to the dark, murky tunnels riddled with Heartless. It took Sora several tense seconds to convince his heart that the Heartless hadn't followed beyond the caves; he took in the radiance of the city, sunlight in a blue sky devoid of any proof of the city being buried underground alongside sparkling azure crystals that every native wore around their necks. Sora stole glances with his teammates again, trying to see if they sensed anything wrong, and all three found nothing. The safety was almost unnerving but they didn't dare disrupt it with questions.

The group began to break down as the center of the city drew near, most of the explorers stepping up to food tents and ware blankets to observe the culture they had stepped into. Only Rourke, Helga, Milo, Sora, Donald and Goofy remained in the leadership of Kida as she walked up to a large courtyard surrounded by high stone walls and an ornate set of stone doors. She asked the guards to open the doors so that she might have a conference with her father. Milo jolted as he followed her ancient tongue.

"Wait, you're the King's daughter?"

"Come Mister Thatch, we can talk more later." Kida answered, gesturing her remaining guests to follow her into the courtyard. Sora marveled at the pond surrounding the throne area where he noticed an elderly man resting upon a bench of sorts. His inner child snuck a smile onto his lips as he wondered how the King left the throne at all when he could only see a set of individual stones within the water between him and them. A couple steps gave Sora the chance to regain his composure. He noticed Donald watching Rourke and Helga and started to follow that lead since he couldn't understand the words Kida started speaking to her father anyhow.

"Greetings, your highness. I have brought the visitors." Kida bowed as she spoke, addressing her father alone. Rourke glanced in her direction, then Milo's with the expectation of a translation in his pursed lips. Sora only noticed on his downswing of a bow, following Kida's lead in the hopes of appearing respectful.

The King's voice came gruff, words excluding anyone who didn't speak the language. Milo shivered, a reaction not lost on his comrades; they understood body language just fine. "You know the law, Kida. No outsiders may see the city and live!"

"Father, these people may be able to help us." Kida pleaded with a hopeful gleam in her sapphire blue eyes. She refused to let her face show her disappointment even as her heart clenched beneath her pendant. She disliked living in this stale monotony, wanting to embrace the other world living on the surface too. She envied the upper world, able to change and continue adapting to their world, and she was afraid of this envy and what it might do to her heart. If these explorers could teach her things without her having to leave her home, was that not a safe education?

"We do not need their help!" He waved his hand, indicating everyone clustered behind Kida and startling everyone except Rourke into mild paralysis. The language barrier made things worse, giving the King's voice ominous tones and rough edges that left those still bowing in further discomfort. Rourke gave a hidden shrug and watched on.

"But father..."

"That is enough!" As the King's voice growled over the water, Milo put away his book, showing Sora a decisive look of defeat. They slowly rose to their feet, Donald and Goofy following suit, and gave synchronized blinks that somehow gave the answers needed. As the guilt passed onto Milo to speak up, Rourke broke the silence.

"Your Majesty. On behalf of my crew, may I say it is an honour," he gave a mild bow, feigning enough respect to feel righteous, "to be welcome to your city." He felt the vapid stares of his companions over his arms and back, and showed no sign of emotion towards it. If they would not act, he knew their exploration would end in zero benefits.

"You presume much to think you are welcome here." The King switched to English with no sign of trouble or faltered grammar or language deducing that Milo went through with Kida. The iceberg coldness hadn't fled his tone in the switch however. It was in that moment that Sora caught the King's gaze, and noticed the milky-white clarity of blind eyes, yet even with that truth, Sora couldn't stop a sick little fluttering in his stomach that said the King knew more than someone who just met these "explorers" from above.

"Sir, we have come a long way looking for-"

"I know what you seek and you will not find it here."

Kida turned to her small gathering with guilt and apologies clustering in her azure eyes and pouted lip. She wanted to challenge her father's harsh refusals, but she dared not suggest something she knew very little about. She saw a particular weight slam onto Sora's shoulders, sensing his disappointment to be much greater than simply learning about Atlantis. She glanced at Milo, the one person who seemed to more than anyone, but the linguist was still trying to convince Rourke to back away from this battle.

Rourke still gave a solemn smile, ignoring Milo without resorting to physical means. "But we are peaceful explorers; men of science." He spoke with unabashed confidence, not at all displaying any emotion about being told his goals would be fruitless in this city.

"And yet, you bring weapons..."

Sora held down a shiver, immediately understanding the contradiction even though his head missed it all along. He had just assumed the guns and robotic things were prepared as a defense against the Heartless, but he had seen many of their group haul individual weapons into the city, which didn't seem right when the Heartless wouldn't trespass beyond the caves; he'd glanced back once before continuing forward, and sensed the creatures lurking. Deep inside, Sora was agreeing with all of his heart, sensing what the monarch was insinuating. Sora had been having doubts and insecurities about the intentions of this expedition, and the king's revelations weren't helping to get rid of them by any means.

Rourke pushed forward. "Our weapons allow us to remove any obstacles we may encounter."

"Some obstacles cannot be removed with a mere show of force."

Sora couldn't stop the shudder this time, his thoughts falling to Riku once more. He had taken the Keyblade from Sora's hands, stating his rightful heritage to the weapon and Donald and Goofy's allegiance along with it. Sora didn't realize until now, but he was Riku's obstacle to becoming the stronger person, the one who would set things on the right path. He took the strength by force, but his heart faltered in the end. The detour derailed when the King delivered his final blow.

"Return to your people. You must leave Atlantis...**at once**!"

Goofy leaned towards his companions, hunching into a rainbow arch shape to keep his voice secret. "Must be that muddling issue again..."

"I guess you can _meddle_ in your own world, too..." Donald mused. Sora could only nod.

"Your Majesty, be reasonable..." When Milo stood up and spoke with more force, his voice still shaky but gaining volume, Rourke side-stepped him and Kida and paced to the edge of the stone platform, where only a small lake and separate stones kept him from coming closer. "May I respectively request that we stay one night? That would give us time to rest, re-supply, uh...be ready to travel by morning."

No one appeared content with this request even if it was to their benefit to stay. Rourke had the diplomacy of a born leader, but still, there was a sinister wisp in his voice that no one could prove or simply ignore. Still, it somehow pressured the King into a surrender, and none could refute the commander's effectiveness.

The king was clearly hesitant about this proposition; not disguising the fact that he knew these outsiders would cause much chaos to this world. But he was not sure what to do otherwise, also noticing the tension and problems with the current scenario, and succumbed nonetheless. His voice became an angry growl, again not hiding his mistrust. "Very well. One night. That is all!"


	15. The Seeds of the Future

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 15: The Seeds of the Future...**

_Maybe I don't belong here…_

_…_

_…_

"Sora, yur not thinking about leaving, are yuh?" Goofy inquired. The trio had taken an hour to wander the city and be friendly with the locals, but the truth always had a way of intruding upon good spirits, and they soon found a secluded corner near some waterfalls and a lake shore to work out the King's secret meeting with the three of them after Rourke, Milo and Kida were dismissed.

"He said the King and Riku aren't here, and if we stay, we'll only provoke the Heartless to break through the barriers of light if we remain." Sora sighed, tightening his arms over his chest in the guarded fashion of a stalemated hero. The shade of the rocks and trees cast light shadow speckles over his furrowed expression as he leaned against the rock wall leading up to the head of the waterfall. "I mean, I don't want to go without understanding everything that's going on here, but I don't think it's right for us to invade here more than we already have.

"Who'd've thought the heart of this place had enough power to keep the darkness from taking it." Donald tapped his foot against the damp grass, head tilted to an inquisitive angle. "It seems a little suspicious though. No other world has ever been able to control the Heartless for very long. Remember when King Triton insisted we leave, saying we would cause trouble too?"

"But can we take that chance?" Sora plumped out his lower lip, still unhappy that his memories were still missing clarity and he was facing the choice between the truth and more innocent lives being lost, and not entirely certain which was upsetting him more. "You're always saying we're not allowed to meddle, and if there's no danger, we have no excuse to pry."

"Aw phooey." Donald flopped down onto the grass, not wanting to be wrong after so much effort to get here.

"But what if the heart of this world is the power the King meant in that letter?" Goofy suggested with hands turned up to the sky. "Don't we, uh, need to be sure that this King isn't hiding it from us?"

"We can't upset their balance just on a hunch." Sora looked at his companions and a glimmer in the blue of his eyes pierced their hopes of continuing the point. They wanted to find King Mickey more than they would tell Sora out loud, but they saw his understanding in that one look. His understanding and hopelessness. They sighed in an exhausted agreement. "So, it's settled then. We'll leave after a small rest."

"Oh Sora!" Kida swung down from the tree branches above Sora's head, hanging upside down with her eyes level with Sora's and her hair pooled into his lap. "Don't leave yet."

"Yah!" Sora twisted his arms back and smacked them against the rocks he was leaning against, his body attempting to flail in a way that wouldn't strike the young Atlantean. He succeeded but still ended the event with his knuckles throbbing. "What! What are-"

"Please don't go yet. I have so many questions, and only you three and Milo can help me." Kida tilted her head sideways, an angle that left Sora mildly dizzy, before she righted herself and jumped down from the tree, landing in a crouch beside him.

"K-Kida!" Everyone looked up with only Kida not looking stunned and confused. Milo couldn't be seen but his voice was unmistakably rippling from the trees. "I-I think I-I'm re-really stuck!"

"Hang on." Kida stood up and gave Sora a quick smile. "You, stay please."

Within a couple minutes of awkward silence, Sora shuffled over to Donald and Goofy's side of the resting spot and Kida helped the gangly linguist back onto solid ground. Sora spent most of it trying to return his heart rate to something normal while Donald and Goofy continued to snicker beneath wind and hand, respectively.

"Milo, you must convince them to stay. Maybe they can help us understand the Journal's missing information." Kida touched a slender hand to Milo's shoulder, her eyes lit with curiosity and excitement. The bold approach only flustered the shy man more, jumbling his speech until Sora felt sorry enough to step in.

"Uh, um, I guess we could stay a little longer, right, guys?" Donald and Goofy set straight to nods, happy to be back in the exploration court.

"Good!" Kida squeezed Milo's shoulder and nudged him towards the water while signaling the other three to do the same. "Now, I hope you all know how to swim."

"Huh?" Goofy looked at Donald who only shrugged in return.

"Kida knows of a mural in a cave, but it's-" Milo's words scattered across the burning twilit grass, knocked over by Kida's smooth removal of her outer skirt to reveal a bikini bottom underneath. She stepped into the water to her ankles before turning around with a teasing grin over her lips.

"We need to swim to get there." Kida reminded the troupe. "You said you knew how."

"Oh, yes, I swim pretty girl—er, pretty good, yeah, yeah, that's what I meant, I-"

"Whoa." Sora tried to break the stare his eyes fell into, but his adolescent weaknesses were not easily controlled. So to get away, he smacked his cheeks to give the red flush an excuse, then strode towards the lake. "Okay," he stepped out of his shoes as he walked and letting his vest slide from his shoulders, "I'm ready to swim, who else is ready to swim? Let's go swimming."

**_x-x-x-x-x_**

The swim wasn't long, giving Sora enough nostalgia to feel relieved within the cool embrace of the water and enough homesickness to deplete his reserve of air sooner. He got plenty of looks and concerned questions after breaking the surface in a fit of coughs and gasps but no one questioned his "lack of focus" excuse, not while he held the mysterious picture pendant in his hand. He was grateful, not prepared to explain the ache in his chest when one friend was on a home he couldn't return to and he had no idea where the other was at all. He really didn't think a short swim would rip the wound clean open; only a few over-the-shoulder glances from Donald and Goofy kept him from letting his thoughts wander away from what Milo was saying.

"My father was always wondering how it was that Atlantis survived its cataclysm so many years ago. It is said that the city harboured a great power, which might have protected it. However, the journal says there are dark creatures that seek out the light that shone over the city, so I can only assume that Atlantis would be in a lot of danger."

"You are speaking of those creatures that live in the tunnels?" Kida tapped a slender finger to her lips, an action barely perceived in the near-dark cave. Only the azure crystal resting on her chest gave them light enough to see where they were wandering too. Nevertheless, the crowding shadows tightened up Sora's heartbeat. "They've never given us any trouble unless we travel outside the city."

"Never ever?" Goofy scratched at his head, touching on a reasonable confusion circling the group.

"No… I, um, suppose that's not normal?"

"Not at all." Milo fussed with his hair, wishing he could have brought the Shepard's Journal with him. He couldn't read it but the weight of the trusted knowledge somehow made him feel more confident. "Well, I can't say they are a problem where I live, but if they're after this power, why linger in those tunnels?"

"Um, is that what the King meant by Atlantis being in balance?" Donald chimed in, glancing back afterwards to check on Sora. The Keyblader gave a lopsided grin in case he was more visible than he assumed he was.

"I don't know what my father means…" Kida sighed, her hopes of connecting the city to the upper world slipping away. She shook her head, white hair flashing in the dark, before she noticed the edges of the mural at the crest of the illumination. "Oh, here, Mr. Thatch. This is it."

The mural began at the pebbles scattered near everyone's feet and rose up into the darkness where the ceiling existed in some manner or another. It wasn't until they had to look up and see the dark that the explorers began to wonder just how tall the cave was. Milo immediately clung to the images that he could see, and Kida held out her crystal without having to be asked, wanting to know what he saw. Sora, Donald and Goofy stood back in the shadows, mesmerized and awed by how well Kida and Milo worked together even though they'd only met one another a few hours before. Kida explained that no one in the city, except her father, could read the old dialogue, never needing to since all of their history was passed down orally.

'_Almost like it was fated for them to meet…_' Sora crossed his arms and plumped out his bottom lip, once again lost in his memories. Memories he could not remember, but also the memory of a meteor shower that brought a certain person into his life.

"Oh no! The mural must go to the ceiling…" Milo leaned against the painted rock and stretched onto the tips of his toes, but Kida could not lift the light much higher either. The roadblock didn't last long; Goofy apologized to Milo before hoisting the gangly man onto his shoulders, an event so swiftly carried out that Donald and Sora needed a moment to process it, even as Milo's yelp echoed into the nothing.

"Is that, uh, better?" Goofy glanced up, grinning.

"Except for my speeding heart, yeah…" Milo clung to Goofy's floppy hat for a few more breaths, then Kida tossed her necklace up to him and the discoveries continued.

"Mr. Thatch, does the writing say anything about the star I saw in the middle of the city?" Kida pressed, not wanting to hear about the history Milo was currently sifting through.

"Don't know yet, but I'm going to find out." Milo replied, sheepish at having been distracted again. He traced a finger over an elaborate arch, then stuttered out a request to be moved to the right. Goofy gave a cheerful "heyuck" and crab-stepped until he was asked to pause. The bobbing back and forth continued in hushed instructions until Milo fell quiet, finger pressing streaks over the damp rocks.

"What?" Kida burst out, seeing the answers tensing up Milo's arms in the dim. "What is it, Mr. Thatch?"

"The Heart of Atlantis!" Milo cried, his body thrusting back from the wall, excitement overwhelming the man. Sora and Donald rushed forward to keep Goofy from toppling, but only served as a cushion against an impact against the rocks. Kida stepped back and caught her pendant, another unfortunate victim headed for the stones. Milo leapt off of Sora and dashed to Kida's side, gasping with his discovery and oblivious to the groans behind him. "It's the Heart of Atlantis! That's what the Shepard was talking about! It wasn't a star; it was some kind of crystal."

Goofy hauled Sora and Donald back upright, patting them on the shoulders in place of interrupting with apologies. Kida glanced back and forth between Milo and them, trying to process Milo's words and the condition of the fall-breakers. Milo didn't stop, wrapping his hands about Kida's, nearly suffocating out the crystal's light.

"Don't you get it? The power source I've been searching for…the bright light you remember…they're the same thing!"

"I-It cannot be…can it, Sora?"

Sora could only stare. The pain of being landed on still had him stunned but more than that, his heart thumped with uncertainty. He was not surprised to hear that this "light" was the heart of the world—the Heartless presence was proof enough—except agreeing with the discovery meant that the power of Atlantis might be the power he, Donald and Goofy needed to take away. They would end up upsetting the balance,

"It's what's keeping all these things…you, all of Atlantis alive!"

Milo's statement finished Sora's thoughts with a clean cut.

"Why didn't the Shepard's Journal tell you all of this, Milo?" Sora posited to escape Kida's curious eyes and pleading gaze. He didn't want to think about harming a world for personal gain.

"Uh…I-I…I don't know. You'd think something like that would be in the Journal…unless…" Milo and Sora locked eyes, blue and brown meeting across a mild light surrounded by darkness, "the missing page…"

Before a debate could open up, Kida grabbed Milo's arm and turned back towards the cave entrance. "Come. We must discuss this with my father at once."

No one disagreed nor lingered, hungry for answers and not all too interested in remaining in the dark. Only once did the five spelunkers pause, held up by Sora whose gaze fell into the depths of the abyss that had swallowed the mural again. He stopped without reason and did not offer one when urged to keep moving. He tried to shake it off, the tightness in his chest,

And the insistent feeling that someone was whispering his name.

* * *

**_READERS!_**_ I am currently in the process of re-writing DToF because the first version was done before I had any practice in writing stories. Now, I want it to reflect how I've grown. I have completed my revision of chapters 1-15. **PLEASE! **Do not read further - I am not deleting chapters yet, because I don't want to hurt the posted reviews until I have to. Anything past Chapter 15 still needs fixing! I promise to message people when the story is revised throughout! _

_Thank you!_


	16. Lie Buried in the Past

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter 16: …Lie Buried in the Past**

_When will you tell me the secrets hidden in your heart?_

…

…

Kairi pressed her lips together, then bit the bottom one until it throbbed, tried dragging a bracelet-adorned wrist across her forehead to stop the tickle created by her bangs, clenched her hands into fists. Nothing. Sucking the sea-salt air into her lungs until it burned, she tried exhaling the name to direct her thoughts, insisting she could remember the spikes of brown hair and how they fell into his eyes when fell into the water, the blue of his imaginative eyes, how his mouth quirked into a tipped smile…

"Come on. I can hear it, I can. It's just faint. I-" The tangle in her eyebrows wavered, losing grip; she shook her head, pleading now, hand pressed against her breastbone, bearing down on the pulse meant to lead her. The island gave discreet scoffs, a small breeze across her legs and the shoestrings about her ankles, the Paopu tree shivering and rustling its leaves, the waves nudging the tiny islet she stood upon. The tighter she shut her eyes to concentrate, the louder the noises became. Even the zippers decorating her pink and white dress ensemble clinked their way into her focus.

'_No—wait!_'

Kairi thrust her hand out towards the younger Sora reaching out to her across a widening divide, his face devastatingly clear before he blinked out, and her eyes blinded themselves within the island sun. Her candle burnt its brightest, and left her to flop against the elongated trunk of the Paopu tree with a deflating sigh, feet sliding away until she was seated.

"Ugh. I don't understand. How am I supposed to reach out to Sora if I don't even know what he looks like now?"

Kairi realized her flaw about a half hour ago and only continued to fight the loss in a desperate wish to not accept the truth. She had been doing fine until an intrusive voice queried her physical differences after a year of being apart, and the Jenga tower could only topple off-balance from there. She hadn't forgotten that the technique didn't require she know his every physical detail; the falling wooden pieces merely insisted she wanted to think about how much she missed them. So she did think about it, and there she was, defeated.

"But…it's not a game this time." Kairi rested her arms over her knees, needing the head support when she curled into a seated fetal position. The island kept up its idle chatter without apology. "I really need to find them now…" A shudder gripped her shoulders and traveled down to her hips, bringing out another sigh.

'_…What am I doing wrong…?_'

A small wind began to encircle the disheartened girl, her question carried on its quiet path. She scrunched her eyes up tight, not wanting to submit to her emotions so soon. She'd only been trying for one afternoon and to give up so easily… Kairi sighed and buried deeper into the embrace she had on her knees. The ocean breeze still combed gentle fingers through her hair, ruffling the shoulder length burgundy strands. She shivered at the feeling if her hair being moved behind her ear.

_Well, du'h Kairi…You're trying too hard._

Kairi sat straight with a jolt, cracking the back of her off the trunk of the Paopu tree. "Ow…" Kairi blinked the confused tears from her eyes, touching the new lump she'd taken in her shock. '_Yes, a concussion will help…_' The tears cleared, but the stars took longer, soon passing into a shadow, eclipsing the sun from her seated form.

_You're only distracting yourself, trying to think instead of feel._

"You—" Kairi wobbled to her feet, head spinning and heart flustered. The girl did not evaporate as Kairi had expected, her headache pulsing over her sight. The red in the tips of her friend's hair drifted in the wind still gracing the air, drifting back and forth over her unmistakable, teal eyes. Kairi bit down on her lower lip, her hand instinctively reaching out. "Is it really—_"_

_Listen to me, Kairi!_

The younger girl flinched, hand retracting as if stung.

_I know it's hard to concentrate, having been so far from Sora for a year now, your heart barely able to recall the pulse that surrounded it._

The girl's stare hardened, accusation piercing Kairi's confused blue eyes, her rattled heart.

_I wanted to keep all of you safe, keep you from this fate. But it's too late for that. If you don't start taking this seriously—_

Kairi tried to argue, wanting her friend to believe she was trying as hard as she could. To no avail.

_-Sora is going to disappear!_

The threat pierced Kairi's focus, felling her strength and returning her to the stone of the island platform. Even in the summer heat, Kairi shivered, her eyes reflecting the darkness shared to her by another. She felt it, his anger, sorrow and pain, the darkness slowly pulling his humanity apart.

"Sora…." Kairi touched a hand to her breastbone, listening to the fractures spreading in her heart. "I…I wasn't listening."

_He's falling apart without you, without Riku, without the confidence in himself to continue. So, find him, Kairi…_

_Before it's too late._

**x-x-x-x-x**

It was the rustle of the waves pressing at the islet that woke Kairi from the darkness. A whimper rose from her throat, but the owner of the name did not respond. Raising a hand to shield her eyes from the reddening sun, Kairi opened her eyes to nothing but the ocean ahead of her. She didn't remember passing out, and was embarrassed over having done so. Questions clutched at her tongue; she shook them off, afraid that she'd lost too much time already.

_…Your heart is strong. If you trust in your friends, and in yourself, you will always be able to find them._

Kairi rubbed her eyes with her knuckles, clearing her sight of sleep, tears and other blinders. Sunset would soon cover the island, and night would follow, and another day would pull her further from Sora's side. The sun glared into her darkened eyes and she glared right back.

_…Find or face a location that best suits your target. Use the environment to your advantage._

Kairi knew this move would put her out of commission if she screwed up, but if it worked… Digging her nails into the trunk for grip, Kairi hoisted her body onto the curve of the Paopu tree.

_Picture your target in a way you best remember them, in a way that brings you closer together._

For a moment, time no exception, Kairi rested upon the Paopu tree, drifting into her memories to find Sora, how she remembered him, the way he looked when they were happy, when the rest of the world didn't matter and all they had to worry about was how to keep their sides from hurting while laughing. How he looked now didn't matter; she would see him soon enough.

_Imagine there is a string. One end is taped to your heart and the other end will lead you to your target. Along that connection, a heartbeat will resonate. And you will have to listen to it, learn it, and change your own to match it._

Breathing in the burn of sea salt air, Kairi secured her sandaled feet upon the rounded plain of the trunk and rose to her full height. She wouldn't open her eyes; Sora's smile had finally found her and Kairi would not lose it again. She could not feel that thread, the one connecting their hearts, and did not try to find it. It was already there and would glisten soon enough. No longer did her cheeks blush at the idea of becoming one with Sora's heart—for the second time. The breeze touched her once more, carrying her whisper over the ocean, to the stars.

'_We'll all go together. This time…I promise._'


	17. The Heart's Price

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and while there is an Axel-looking character in here, it is only what I assumed of him based on screenshots, before I even knew his name. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Any similarities to material I have not seen, like BBS, 358/2 Days or the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Thank you.

* * *

******Chapter 17: The Heart's Price**

_What are you fighting for? What are you willing to risk in the end?_

…

…

"Sora, what's gonna happen, huh?" Audrey pushed the Keyblader's uninjured shoulder, not sure the boy was even listening to her or the world around him. Just as she suspected, the spiky-haired boy jostled in the motion she gave him, but did not respond in an intelligent way. Though often too quick to anger, Audrey held back, not blind to why this boy had fallen into his own pain. Pain that she helped cause.

"Why would you care?" Donald quacked from the stone wall of the garden, kept at bay by the soldiers and the guns stationed on guard while their leader completed his mission in the lower level of the courtyard. "You're the ones causing harm to this world and forced Sora to help you!"

"Shut it, duck!"

"Or you'll what? What more will you do for money?" Donald leapt up and down, stamping upon the stones, barely contained by Goofy's big hands gripping his shoulders. He didn't care that Vince's gun was aimed in his direction and the rest of their "allies" were prepared to do the same. Only Dr. Sweet seemed human to his eyes, but he wasn't forgiving him yet either. Goofy, though maintaining his neutral, calm demeanor, wasn't feeling all that different about the betrayal they'd faced, but his eyes wouldn't leave Sora. Their teammate hadn't moved since…only kneeling upon the ground he'd fallen to, keyblades lying defeated just below his limp fingers, his shoulder healed, but still bloodstained…

Goofy couldn't see his friend's eyes, but he didn't think they reflected anything other than sorrow.

_Why did I come here again? Wasn't it to find a source of power that His Majesty had told me, Donald and Goofy about? _

_Isn't this my fault? The reason this world will collapse into darkness?_

_Ten minutes earlier…_

"All right, everybody spread out and search the place." Rourke kept his gun leveled at Kida while he marched his soldiers into the royal courtyard, a threat needing no words. The lack of words did not stop Helga from pushing her own handgun into Kida's ribs for effect. The Atlantean guards stood on with helpless, angered eyes, hands losing hold of their weapons to keep their princess from harm. The king straightened in his chair, but his face displayed only disappointment. Sora wasn't sure why he could feel the pain of betrayal whispering in the old man's frail body, but he knew it wasn't just personal guilt leading him astray. He had seen the king's hesitation with letting strangers into this world; he had been asked specifically not to upset the balance that Atlantis had built.

Sora tried to look at Milo for advice, to only receive dismay and smouldering anger.

'_I'm supposed to be the hero, the one who helps protect the world from the darkness…_' Sora flinched, unable to raise his head and face the impending disaster. '_But I led the darkness right to these innocent people!_'

"There's nothing here, Rourke." Dr. Sweet confirmed from the rallied opinions of the search parties. His eyes started to drift in Milo's direction, then immediately returned to his commander. He and the rest of the search party had been preparing for this moment, the final pillage of an ancient site, a job like many of the others their crew had taken in the past. He wasn't ashamed at having deceived the starry-eyed descendant of James Thatch, and yet, his heart tightened each time he glimpsed Milo's betrayed glare. "There doesn't appear to be any secret passages either."

"Not any that are unlocked, anyways." Rourke stepped past his medical advisor and hop-scotched his way to the center stone, where the king greeted his appearance with a hollow stare. "Your Majesty," he started, his tone hiding nothing of the amused condescension pricking every muscle in his grin, "I do believe there is something you see that I do not."

"Do you intend to rob thousands of lives the chance to live?" The king did not stand of his own volition, hauled to his feet by two masked guards who followed Rourke over the water.

"Thatch, do tell this sovereign what I wish to know." Rourke glanced over his shoulder to make sure Milo took the command seriously and didn't hold back out of some perverted sense of justice that seemed to flow in his blood. To his satisfaction, the defeated Milo recited his Journal with a precious weight in his voice.

"The path, tied by two keys-power of light and dark-to the heart of Gaea lies in the eyes of her king…"

"Well, there you have it." Rourke turned to his target once more, signaling Helga to "remind" the king of his daughter's predicament. The elder man needed no threat to pressure him, but the things he knew would lead his kin and his world to greater disrepair.

"The power will consume your heart. Darkness will swallow you and bring destruction to this world and yours." The king stood strong, his voice reaching deep into many hearts scattered throughout the room. One he could not reach, however, clenched a free hand into a fist.

"Maybe I'm not making myself clear…!"

The punch came quick and hard. The soldiers released his arms, and the aged sovereign crumpled to the cold stone beneath him. Kida thrashed in Helga's grip, spitting Atlantean obscenities that did little to quell the rage burning her heart. Dr. Sweet started towards the throne, face twisted into shock and concern, but Rourke ordered him still.

"This wasn't part of the plan, Rourke."

"Plans change, doc.," Rourke stepped over the fallen king and flopped into the throne, pulling the Journal from his waist in order to scan the cover. He didn't care for the tension spreading through his main hunters, suspecting they, like Sweet, were not so accepting of his physical methods of investigation; he was not going to be swayed by their soft sides. "So I suggest you put a bandage on that bleeding heart of yours before it gets you killed." A snap of his fingers had the king turned and lifted to face Rourke once more.

"Now, _Your Highness_," Rourke lifted his other hand, and the gun held within, "I'm going to ask you just once more." The hum of Rourke's voice ended on Sora breaking free from his guards and stationing his body between the king and the barrel of a silver handgun he couldn't name.

"Still trying to play hero, are you boy?" Rourke didn't lower the gun, hardly intimidated by a smart-mouth teenager.

Donald and Goofy yelled at him from the sidelines but could think of little to say, not when they wanted to be standing at his side guarding the injured king as well. From behind him, Sora could hear the king insisting he step away, keep himself safe. Sora thought of nothing but the glare Riku taught him over three years ago. He was not as effective as his friend would have been, but the harsh lines in his face did kill the "clueless observer" façade that Rourke had assumed of him.

"If you think I have hesitations about shooting a kid," Rourke settled the gun in line with Sora's heart, "you're wrong."

"Rourke, this ain't funny!" Audrey shouted from the entrance, gun still cocked in threat position even as her fingers slid away from the trigger.

"Now, I'm going to ask the question one last time. You have 'til ten before I take the both of you out." Not one person believed Rourke to be lying, but a heavy silence holding onto their throats revealed their disbelief in his radical method of getting an answer. Sora didn't falter, standing where he believed was right, even as his heartbeat threatened to break his ribs.

"One…"

Donald flexed his right wing, trying to assure his staff would appear at the right moment and he could cast an Aero spell to protect his friend. Goofy glanced at Audrey, Cookie and more of the staff they had trusted in this expedition. They all looked away.

"Two..."

Rourke secured his grip on his gun, offering dramatic movements of his fingers to assure his wide-eyed observers that his mind had not changed. Sora didn't break, his brilliant sapphire eyes challenging the glare of the gun. He wanted to run; his heart wouldn't let him. Rourke did not know the Keyblader's state of mind, but his patience dropped seven points when the boy's glare didn't flicker. The next number ground through his teeth.

"Nine…"

Memories clutched at the edge of Sora's awareness; his friends, his home, face and laughs and feelings left unsaid. They pushed and pulled, begging him to move, encouraging him to stand strong. A tremble spiralled from the sweat coating his neck and back, showing not weakness but determination.

Rourke saw it, knew it, and trembled himself; the rage snarled his mouth, baring white incisors. He felt the fear draining from the captive Atlanteans, their hopes following the martyr with unnatural hair. He secured the trigger, closing one eye to read his aim, gun centering.

'_Sorry…Kairi…_' Sora closed his eyes, preparing for the pain, thinking only of the girl who always took it away.

Sora's execution call ended on the initial syllable, the "ten" unconsciously slipping off Rourke's tongue. Sora, confused by the lack of gunshot and expected suffering, slowly opened his eyes; he watched Rourke stand up, the crazed commander's eyes drifting over Sora's spikes of toffee-brown hair, then down to the pilfered Shepard's Journal. And back again.

"Of course…"

Sora heard a sigh crush the spirit of Atlantis' king; his defeat drifted into the air, wounding his daughter and his people alike. "No…"

"In the eyes of her king." The awe of revelation refused to fade from Rourke's face, his rage momentarily quelled.

'_Wha?_' Sora started to turn, glancing over his shoulder to try and see what had spared him. A rough shove kept him from seeing anything except his face rushing towards a stone. Behind him, Rourke waited until Sora landed on the center stone, nearly ending up in the water, then raised his gun again.

"Open it!"

Sora avoided shaking his head lest the gesture be misunderstood, and touched his forehead instead. Brightness clouded his eyes, and after a half dozen blinks was Sora able to see the change in the platform he'd landed on and a select pattern of stones around him. He rose up on his knees and traced out the symbol he'd seen on Milo's journal. As the pieces came together, Oathkeeper and Oblivion formed out of the ether, hovering over two like coloured keyholes in front of Sora's knees. When he touched the dark one with his right hand, he heard a familiar voice whisper his name.

_… No, don't. The heart…_

Sora snapped his head up; within blurred light and shadow, he saw that girl in his dreams, her face still hidden, except her eyes. He blinked, still seeing her between Goofy and Audrey, staring at him with eyes like the one in the locket photograph, clear as day.

'_Wait!_'

_Watch out, Sora._

The warning came too late, his name silenced by the report of a gunshot…and a searing pain through his left shoulder.

"Sora!" Ally and kind traitor shouted alike.

"Rourke, have you lost it?" Audrey twisted in place, keeping her gun steady without keeping it trigger-ready.

"Can it, Ramirez." Rourke levelled his gun in Donald's direction, his aim close enough to Audrey to secure his threat. "You have one last chance, boy." The commander's voice lost volume, falling to depth and frightening calm. "Open the path or I kill your feathered friend."

Sora tried to speak, the words little more than insensible coughs and pain-induced whines. On the edge of his senses, Sora heard Donald yelling at him, knew in his erratic heart that he couldn't, shouldn't do what he had to do. He pushed his body up from the illuminated stone, arms shaking, threatening to drop him. Blood drooled down, blots of darkness in the light; Sora gritted his teeth, forcing his left arm to raise, his hand to grip Oathkeeper; swallowing back the taste of blood, Sora took hold of Oblivion with his right hand and thrust them down.

"I'm sorry…" whispered across his consciousness. Sora didn't know if it was his voice or not. Falling against the keys for support, Sora twisted them opposite of each other, and sealed the fate of Atlantis.

Four people had descended beneath the courtyard pond; Rourke had warned Sora back to the mainland and ordered Helga, Kida and Milo to accompany him to seek "the heart of Atlantis" – back-up, collateral, and translator. No one had protested, all aware that the Atlantean supporters and softened hearts still stood outnumbered.

Four descended; three returned. Kida still stood amidst the surface dwellers, but only stood; her whole body looked like blue crystal, head to foot to fingertip. Even her white hair was crystallized blue, but it floated without cause about her head. Her eyes had lost the iris and pupil, both staring blankly without indication if they could see. Within her chest, a light pulsed, slow and deep.

"The heart…" Sora murmured, tasting the guilt as he spoke, staring at the equally overcome Milo.

x-x-x-x-x

**_You waiting for the door to open itself?_**

Riku flinched. It had been a long time since he'd heard that voice. A deep, rough voice condescending to his frozen figure as it stood in front of the door that would change everything. For a moment, Riku couldn't decide if the voice was newly revived or dredged up by the pained coincidence he'd walked right into.

'_Does it matter?_' He lowered his hand from the door of the building he and Mickey had taken residence in. The storm hadn't lessened, hadn't worsened, the lightning and thunder waning to bring in a heavier rain than before. Riku barely noticed, soaked through and through after having left his hood down for the extent of his walk. The water definitely made it easier for the blindfold to cling to his eyes; didn't do much to alleviate the weight of his emotions. He couldn't wait in the streets forever, and knew he didn't have very long to make a decision. If Mickey didn't give up and start a search for him, then the chance of saving her would slip him by.

"What am I supposed to do?" He wanted to scream the question and release the lump building in his throat, but held back. He didn't want to draw any attention or admit his failure. Still, he could not escape the reality that he could not betray the only person who had given him trust and friendship when he thought the world would turn away. Chills struck him, induced from the weather or so Riku wanted to believe. "How can I do this again?"

Memories fought for his attention, his loyalty...perhaps his love. Staring only at drenched black fabric, Riku watched the last two years of his life flicker in slideshow format. He watched his innocence fall apart, his home fall to darkness, his friends turn away or disappear altogether. He watched every decision he ever made hurt the ones he cared for. He always wanted more, then wanted the easy means to attain it; he hated being weaker, being defeated, accepting power even as the knowledge of the price whispered in his ears.

_It's not like you to hesitate, Riku. _

"I don't want to lose you again." Riku crumpled his eyebrows and turned around, looking back and forth over the deserted street. He released a sigh, feeling foolish for speaking to a memory that soon faded from his sight. In his heart though, he knew the voice to be right. He never hesitated, choosing his path as he wanted it to be. So often, that path had been a mistake, a voyage into the darkness. Nevertheless, he did not have to give in and always consciously make the wrong decision.

Riku had known when the hooded woman was standing a street away from him that he did not want to betray Mickey or hurt him.

"But to fall for the enemy's promises once more?" Riku rotated his body towards the door again. He knew what he had to do. Urgency quickened his heart; the need for instant gratification dried his throat until he lifted his face to the sky to swallow the bitter rain. Still, he resolved to complete this journey without the enemy, insisting he was stronger than before.

Or so he thought.

His right hand finally grasped the door handle, doing the work since his left still hung uncooperative, but he did not receive the chance to step inside with his mind made up. No sooner had his gloved hand encircled the cold metal did the teeth of darkness sink into his injured forearm. The pain was not like it had been in Kingdom Hearts; Riku did not cry out as he had then, feeling the difference between reality and recurrence, but it struck him nonetheless. White-hot pricks of light blinded his covered eyes and his knees surrendered, bringing him to the cement block in front of the building door. He did not let go of the door handle, as if attached by electric shock, but was not aware of it. The pain dulled, a sharp slice numbing to feverish warmth; it did not matter much.

"Wait."

**_Why? You know nothing is for free, Riku. _**

There she stood. Tired, paper-thin slices helter-skelter on the skin he could see, deeper wounds where the clothing hid the damage. He blinked, shook his head, even closed his eyes, but he couldn't run away from what his heart knew to be true.

"No, you won't do it."

**_Believe what you want. Our plans will continue with or without you. _**

The darkness thickened, the shadows forming, a human-shaped heartless coming for its trophy.

"You're lying."

**_You decide on the ending, Riku._**

He tightened his hand, digging the metal edges into his palm but he did not wake. No matter how he wanted it to be a dream, he did not wake up. The heartless, shaped in a form that chilled Riku beyond the weather, struck. It buried its hand into her chest.

With little warning, the thunder and lightning returned to the streets.

x-x-x-x-x

"Okay, we have the weapons, the transportation, the treasure...have I forgotten something?" Rourke counted off the inventory in a tone heavily hinting it was not necessary. He didn't want an answer; he already knew it. He clenched his hand into a fist as he spun, driving a front punch into Milo's jaw. The wiry man went a foot before his body struck ground, his glasses falling from his face in the motion; they didn't break, but the same could not be said for a picture that tumbled from Milo's pack.

As before, there were gasps and murmurs of discontent, but no one countered. Goofy stooped to pick up Milo's glasses and knelt beside him to keep him steady. Milo raised up enough to watch a boot crunch the photograph of his James Thatch into the stones.

"Just like your grandfather, naive and impractical." Rourke watched as Milo wiped away the blood from his split lip, amused by the linguist's unfaltering rage. "People are selfish, Thatch. Survival of the fittest and all that. Get used to it." His last objective completed, Rourke about-faced and signalled his crew to move out.

Milo looked about, provoking Audrey, Vinny, and the rest of the "friends" he'd met on this excursion to say something; they kept packing up and strapping down the same things, keeping silent. He didn't believe these people had been heartless; good at their skills, set in their ways, but not so blinded by avarice that they would trade lives for money. Dr. Sweet still kneeled over the wounded king, though he offered no argument beyond refusing to help with the extraction. Exhaling the contents of his lungs, Milo rose up.

"Nice to see you're all in agreement with this!" Milo swung his arm in a circle, gesturing to the crowd of Atlantean people, to Donald and Goofy who still stood beside Sora, tending his shoulder wound. To the king that their "leader" assaulted. "These people have lived for thousands and thousands of years, and for what? So some explorers can make an extra dollar at the end of the day?"

"Will you give it a rest, Thatch?" Rourke called back without looking, his body sliding into the driver's seat of the main truck.

"Bet your dad would be proud, Audrey!" Donald chimed in, stepping away from his friends to Milo's side, folding a wing and shaking it. "And you, Vinny, I guess this will buy that flower shop now, huh?" The individuals in question flinched, but didn't stop getting into their vehicles. The infuriated duck stomped in place, no longer sure what to say. Milo cast a glance in Sora's direction but saw no change in the sullen teen; Goofy met Milo's stare and gave a slight shake of his head before trying to look past him. The slam of a car door turned Milo's attention forward again.

"The hell are you doing?" Rourke yelled out of his truck window.

"This is wrong, Rourke!" Audrey shouted back, moving beside Cookie and Mrs. Packard with her hands stuck to her hips. "We're talkin' living people here."

"This is the biggest payload we've ever grabbed and you want to back out now?" Rourke leaned halfway out of the truck window and turned towards the rebellious crowd of specialists, the only individuals of his entire crew. Rourke wasn't too shocked but the lack of loyalty did burn his rear a little.

"Somethings are worth more than money," Mrs. Packard croaked, holding her cigarette to the side to tap off the building ashes. "Though it's a pain to calculate out," she added in a lower tone.

"Fine, less shares works with me." Rourke thumped back into his seat, rocking the vehicle in the motion. He started the truck up and gave hand directions to the other soldiers to move out. Sentries with guns seated on roofs warned away any surprise attacks. The farther Kida moved from her home, Rourke's truck taking her across the only bridge between the caves and the city, the more life drained away from it. The light within the pendants worn by the Atlanteans dimmed to a faint glow, all water ceased to flow, all plants drooped and sighed against the ground.

Milo couldn't take it. He launched himself forward, intent to bring Kida back no matter what he had to do. Vinny tackled him to the stones before he got far.

"Hey—"

"Just wait." Vinny drawled, a moment before an explosion tore the bridge to shreds. Flames and debris and flaming debris fell like a hailstorm, mostly into the lava below with some scattering over the stones. A shard of wood plinked off Milo's head when he started to get up. "Okay, you can go now." Vinny shrugged as he stood up.

Milo didn't wait to be told again, stumbling to his feet. "Sora! C'mon, they're taking Kida! There has to be something you can do." He almost fell to his knees trying to stoop low enough to find Sora's downcast gaze. His heart won't stop pounding, stricken with guilt and impatience and desperation. He wanted to shake the younger boy to ease his nerves, to make something happen to fix what he'd helped to cause.

The rest of the explorers and Atlanteans held their breath, waiting for the boy, the one who wielded "the keys," to aid them. Expectations led to fearful defeat when he finally spoke.

"...Haven't I done enough?"

Milo looked at Goofy, then Donald, begging without words. They only gave him equally silent sighs, turning back to Sora, each touching an arm to try and comfort their friend. He rose to his full height, upper body trembling, his fear giving way to frustration. Before he could find the words to yell, Dr. Sweet stepped towards them, hands wringing one over the other.

"Milo, Sora," he nods at each alongside their name, "the King wants to speak with you." His low, slow speech told of sad news, of a tragedy soon to pass.

Sora didn't want to go. His shoulder still throbbed to the dull pace of his heart, still reminded him that he'd allowed a madmen to leave with the heart of the world. More than the pain in his shoulder, Sora didn't want to face the pain of losing the leader of Atlantis. Though foolish, Sora knew that tone of voice, and didn't want to accept it by walking towards the reality.

He followed Milo, lower lip trembling even after he bit down on it.

"Please, boys, I need-" The king coughed, his frail body jerking from the force; red speckled his lips and hand, "you to save Atlantis, return her back to balance."

"Your Majesty, please save your strength." Milo reached out his hand, trying to gesture that the injured monarch lay still. The king nestled his crystal pendant into Milo's palm instead.

"My people need your guidance, Mr. Thatch." The king turned his head, his coughs quieter, but deeper, "And your strength of heart, Sora."

"B-But I..." Sora tried to lift his head; the guilt held him under. "This is my fault, your Majesty!" Tears burned his eyes, too stubborn to fall.

"No, young Keyblade Master, the fault lies with me." Waving away Milo's hands, the king adjusted himself to sit higher; Milo mirrored his every wince.

"Please listen. I thought I could ignore the war of light and darkness beyond the city limits by hiding the light away. I..." He paused, straining through injury and memories. "During the last war, I tried to use the heart of this world to heighten the power of Atlantis, to make her more powerful than the rest of the surface world. I lost my wife, Kida's mother, when the heart spiralled towards the darkness."

Several more coughs and gags had Milo begging for the king to rest. He refused.

"I was arrogant, then and now. I thought I could save Kida by sealing away the city, but solitude only encouraged her curiosity, made her stronger. I challenged fate, and endangered all I hold dear."

"Your Majesty..." Sora attempted , his stomach twisted in knots. Fear and guilt clotted in his throat, a lump he couldn't swallow.

"You and your friends are in danger, Sora."

The distraught teenager finally found the strength to raise his head; the king had only spoken his name twice, referring to him by title in the same way Grandmother Willow had done. Until more personal messages arose. Sora tried to still the shake in his shoulders, without success. He knew the king was not speaking of just Donald and Goofy, hearing it in his raspy struggles to talk while he still could.

"You must not dwell on what has happened; the future will not wait." The king heaved the contents of his lungs into the air and more permanently against his bed. He did not look at Sora again, turning his milky eyes to Milo. "Mr. Thatch, please guide my people and save my daughter." He wrapped a shaking hand around Milo's, securing the crystal pendant in the younger man's palm.

Milo promised he would, tears in his eyes, droplets marking up his glasses.

Sorrow fell over the group, bringing together two worlds as Atlantis lost her king. Sora ducked his head again, hiding his eyes with his wrist; Milo stepped back, holding the crystal, his acceptance into the lost world, to his chest. The chance to mourn was short-lived, shattered in the wake of explosions erupting from the caves beyond the city limits.

* * *

*Collapse* Wow! If you have made it this far, I thank you. I have finally completed revising the chapters I currently have posted on the website - I have deleted the one that came after this one because I can barely stand to check it for plot details, let alone continue to have it available to read. I promise I will be giving it, and the chapters finally allowed to live, my utmost attention and creativity. I don't want this story to die, as it once did. I have been commissioning some pictures for chapter art to keep my motivation alive. Thank you again if you have stuck with me this long. It means so much to me.


	18. You Can't Escape the Past

_Disclaimer: _When reading DToF, please keep this in mind. I plotted this story after watching KH (the first game), and seeing a couple of screenshots for the next one. That means: I adopted the new outfits for Sora and Riku and Kairi, and the trenchcoats from _Another Side, Another Story_. All concepts still belong to Disney/Squaresoft(Enix); all original plot stuffs belong to moi. Most original characters belong to me, excluding any characters listed beneath the disclaimer. Any similarities to material I have not seen like the Final Mixes are completely coincidental.

Chapter Preview Picture: aurora-silver . deviantart .com/art/C-Riku-and-Mitexi-285243926 (remove any spaces)

* * *

**Chapter 18: You Can't Escape the Past**

_Funny thing about dreams...whether you wake or grow older, they will eventually end._

_..._

_..._

"It came from the caves!" Donald quacked, pointing at the flickering sparks of light and smouldering fire within the darkness of the tunnel. The faint sounds of gunshots, shrieking metal and whirring could be heard on the echoes of the blast; they renewed the raw tension in every position in every Atlantean and surface dweller.

"I reckon it's the Heartless." Goofy summoned out his shield, discontent distorting his usually placid face. He glanced over at Sora, torn, wanting to help the world and his friend. To his and Donald's surprise, Sora didn't hesitate to run to them, his eyes glistening with tears and determination.

"They'll be after Kida," he nodded, with grim reality settling over his body. He didn't want to fight, tired and defeated and still chained to guilt, but knew in every breath he took that the Heartless would not give up their pursuit for more hearts. He let the enemy take Kida from the city. That was far enough.

"Uh, Sora?" Goofy looked over at Sora, at his injured shoulder – the clothes repaired themselves but the memory remained. The way he swiped his glove at the moisture lingering at his eyes. "You okay?"

"Not really." The teen admitted, testing his shoulder with a couple rolls in both directions. It hurt more than he let on; he gritted his teeth to keep quiet. "But we can't let the Heartless harm Kida. It'll destroy..." Sora bowed his head, losing strength in his voice, "this world".

"We have to stop Rourke too!" Donald asserted, mage staff raised as high as he could lift it. Sora nodded, looking at his friends one at a time, his confidence building from their smiles and support.

"We'll help too!" Audrey called out, framed by Atlanteans also raising their hands with the offer of aid. Grief clung to their eyes and cheeks, but held no power over their hearts; pride and love for their home, their princess, and their fallen King shined brighter than the sadness.

Sora, Donald and Goofy spun to acknowledge their allies, though all three hesitated in body and facial expression. "But..." Sora tried, looking sideways to avoid eye contact. "The darkness is really dangerous, and—"

"Sora, we have to go." Milo interjected, stumbling to the front of the crowd, glasses askew until he could stop to set them straight. "This is their home, and the rest of us—

"We messed things up, Sora." Audrey's arms and hands moved while she spoke, gesturing to the desecrated courtyard. "

"I think all of us ought to be strong enough to make a bang." Vinny toyed with fresh dynamite, fuses pressed in his lips and the carmine sticks intricately balanced in his hands.

"We'll try to get Kida, then retreat." Dr. Sweet pursued when Sora's mouth didn't lose its pinched line. "We won't go after those creatures unless it's our only choice."

"Please, Keyblade Master," the Atlanteans chorused.

"Heh..." Sora slumped, a grin finally quirking his lips. "Well, it isn't really my place to tell you all what to do." Light swept through the fingers of his right hand, his oath and promise to Kairi touching his palm before the charm dropped down and Oathkeeper settled into his grip. Looking at Donald and Goofy, Sora kept his smile strong. "That would be meddling, right?"

Donald chuckled alongside a hearty "a-hyuck" from Goofy. No one else understood the humour behind Sora's response, but the only important detail was the absence of "no" bridging the space between them. Excitement levels peaked as plans began to get passed around, filling the courtyard.

"Just one problem." Mrs Packard's cigarette-razed voice pierced through the rising din, silencing the noise with an inaudible **snap**. "How're we gettin' there?" She gestured towards the gaping hole and burnt wood posts where the bridge used to hang, her cigarette weeping embers and ash with the movement.

"Aw man..." Sora sighed, remembering the explosion now. He didn't have any kind of magic that could mend the damage or allow him flight. He, Donald and Goofy still had the ability to glide over vast distances, but to make the flight over the chasm and deep into the tunnels would require a height they did not have the time to find and climb. Even running the remaining distance to the battlefield would take too much time.

"H-Hang on!" Milo scampered through the crowd of disappointed warriors, calling everyone's attention to a stash of inactive vehicles; some were stacked and parked neatly, but most were resembled clothes discarded before bed. Moss and dust crusted the surface of every unit, no matter its location.

"Those crafts have been inactive for a lifetime, young surface dweller." An Atlantean guard cajoled through Milo's fumbling about, one finger of his left hand tracing runes and the right hand fussing with the crystal pendant the King had bestowed on him. "They will not fly—"

"Aha!" Milo cheered when his efforts spilt blue light force through the vehicle and it hummed up into a hover. A chorus of awe blanketed his audience. "Kida and I deciphered the directions earlier. You have to turn the pendant a quarter turn back at the end to make it start up." Mmilo guided his vehicle towards the others and repeated the process for them to see.

Hope filled the courtyard alongside the cyan light breaking through the gloom. It couldn't heal the wounded world, not without its stolen heart, but inspired the people to continue living, to fight. Long abandoned machines moaned awake, showing no signs of age or stiffened parts, as if merely passing the time before they rose again. Some of the stronger Atlanteans set aside their emotions and waved the surface explorers to ride upon their vehicles. Sora followed Milo's call, the two rising to the head of the pack.

"You okay, Milo?" Sora steadied his feet on the sides of the vehicle, resting his hand on Milo's shoulder for balance. Through the blunt burn of the gunshot would, Sora could feel the tremble in Milo's scrawny joint.

"I will be." Milo's voice didn't hide his anxiety either. He gripped the handlebars until his knuckles were white and almost through the skin. He was not a leader and never deluded himself into believing he was one. Only his intense desire to see Kida smiling, animated, humbled his self-doubt, forcing him through the fear. The light of his heart poured from the illuminated vehicle, a beacon in the dusk. "Once Kida is home."

The convoy sped to life at Milo's signal, beams of light scrawling towards the darkness of the caves, the pathway between two connected worlds. Echoes crashed against the walls, into each other; crying, yelling and cursing, cacophony reaching its shapeless hell out to meet them. Sora ducked closer to Milo, gasping, his chest tight without discernable reason. His heartbeat drowned out the voices in the tunnel until he could hear nothing but the dull, slowing thuds.

'_No._' Sora flinched, feeling a quick, anxious pulse in his chest. '_That's not my heartbeat. What—_"

Milo swerved, narrowly dodging the rocks knocked loose by the nearing explosions; Sora grabbed at the older man, almost capsizing the both of them. "Stay sharp, Sora!" Milo yelped, shaking, certain he would not stay upright if that happened again. "We're almost there!"

Sora gritted his teeth, then called out his agreement. Still, he couldn't shake the cold fingers tracing down his spine.

* * *

"Your Majesty?"Riku shut the door with care, keeping the handle in his hand until the latch could close with minimal noise. He held his breath, listening past the plips of water on the hardwood and window panes. "Mickey? Are you here?"

No high-pitched "hello" or "yep" greeted him, only the familiar sounds of the storm. The solitude didn't bother Riku; his companion was more than capable in battle and was no doubt restless after having woken to an empty apartment. Being alone did upset his heartbeat though; at first, he felt relief over having more time to make his decision only to have anticipation strike his pulse again. He hadn't prepared himself for a waiting game, the nerve already evaporating from his body.

"Could I have even...?" Riku shook his head, scattering rain from his silver locks. He wasn't sure, the uncertainty more frightening than the resolver he'd entered with. He would know in time; Mickey never stayed away very long.

He wandered the empty apartment with aimless direction, trying to line up the pieces of his heart. He wanted to tell Mickey the situation but worried he would resist. Insist they stay on task, trapped in the confines of a world that offered no answers or escape. Riku flinched, his wrist renewing its ache, the memory of long, sharp teeth slicing into his arm.

Then he saw it again, the image of a heartless thrusting its claws into her chest.

"No. It's not real." Riku grimaced, breathing deep against his unconvinced heart. He clicked his tongue, then turned away from the circuit of rainwater he'd dripped across the front room. He didn't shut the door of the room he chose to sleep in during their tenure – he refused to call it his bedroom when this place was not home. He didn't want to miss hearing Mickey's return. Breathing out a sigh, Riku approached a large mirror in the opposite corner of the room, an object left abandoned by the building's previous occupants. Riku hadn't paid the mirror any mind before now; he disliked mirrors, a childish attitude, one he hadn't been able to overcome. Staring at his reflection only confirmed an irrational but potent fear.

He lifted his right hand to the blindfold, fingertips tingling from the soft fabric. Trying to lift the small strip of black cloth took more energy and focus than the physical action required, revealing more to the young man than he wanted to start off knowing. Riku eventually mustered the strength to lift the blindfold up, resting the soaked fabric on his forehead.

_Your eyes are honest, Riku, even when you're not... _

A sigh parted his lips. He'd heard those words so often, never once challenging the claim. He knew it to be true whenever he found his reflection. He glanced down, catching sight of how the disappointment and fear glistened in the aqua of his irises, and sighed. "Yet your eyes always revealed nothing."

The change was so slight, Riku didn't notice at first. The pain canvassing his left arm rose and ebbed without warning, so he could never calculate when habituation would settle in. As he stood there, trying to man up to his reflection, the throb trickled away, draining to a dull ache, then to nothing. He paused in his musings, looking at his wrist, when he heard a familiar voice.

"Better?"

Riku rubbed at his eyes with his right hand, expecting his hallucination to disappear proper. "Huh?" Where he should have been standing, staring back, _she _was there instead. Even with his eyes blurred, his knuckles rubbing hard, his reflection didn't reappear.

"Mitexi?"

She didn't answer, only tilted her head as if confused by his inquisitive tone. She wore the same trenchcoat as he, proving that girl's claim to be true. Her mid-back hair was still the same, black with about half an inch of red along the tips; her bangs seemed longer than he remembered, but Riku decided he was wrong, believing only what he could see. He reached out, convinced the distance between them was finally gone; reality came back when his fingers touched only glass. His shoulders slumped, body drained by the confused arrhythmia of his heart.

When he started to speak, Mitexi touched her hand against his palm, or at least where it lay against the mirror. The contact, flawed as it was, lured him closer. The glass felt wet where his forehead touched, either from his hair or the hard chill of the surface. Mitexi mirrored his movements, then touched her right hand to the barrier as well. He tilted his head to the left, watching her slender fingers press upon the glass, hesitate back, then press again. He knew he couldn't do the same, his injury still raw, but he wanted to...wanted to feel.

"Why can't things just be simple?" His breath fogged on the mirror, masking the image of his left hand rising up. "Can it be? Simple?"

"Just once?"

Sunlight woke him, warm against his closed eyes; when he opened them, the dim lightened, but still left him without sight. Fighting back panic, Riku moved his right arm out from under his body, touched his fingers to his eyes; beyond the fabric of his gloves, Riku felt the blindfold shift upon his skin.

**x-x-x-x-x**

"Did I...fall asleep?"

His left forearm ached again, the way it did after the attack. He didn't remember when it flared up again, not after seeing Mitexi in—

The sound of familiar tides broke his concentration, reminding him of sea-salt, sunshine and home. "Impossible..." Tucking his left hand at his stomach, Riku pushed up from the ground, feeling the ocean mist on the exposed skin of his face. He looked at the spot he knew the Paopu tree to be, certain its bent truck would cling at his gloves if he reached out.

"Or am I dreaming now?"

He winced, his forearm worsening through the warmth of his memories. Thoughts tumbled and fell against one another, competing to be attended to, heard. Nothing made sense, the things he kept seeing, _that _voice, the mirror. How he came here, to the Islands. As he struggled against his pain, Riku felt something else. He thought it was sound at first, but the sensation trailed against his back. It was familiar, this aura, he turned, following it, towards the beach he knew all too well.

His eyes could not see Mitexi, not covered with the blindfold, but he "saw" her all the same, walking from him in the distance. He didn't hesitate, jumping off the islet and running through the sands as if he'd never left home. The shifting ground did nothing to hinder his stride; too many years of racing Sora along the beach. "Mitexi..." he murmured, afraid to call out and watch him disappear the way she forever did in his dreams. He had gotten close enough for her to hear anyway.

She didn't react, offering no indication she heard him run up or say her name at all. Riku didn't dwell, stumbling close enough to gently take hold of her arm. His hand trembled when he touched her, prepared to touch nothing but air.

He could not predict what did happen.

"Let me go!" Mitexi screamed into the evening twilight, tearing her forearm from Riku's grip as she spun about-face in the damp sand. Her body shifted into a fighting stance; she pressed her right arm against her chest, guarding it from his reach. She glared at her pursuer, warning him to stay back, to not come near her. "D-Don't you remember me?"

What force possessed him to ask such a question was unclear but he knew it was not wrong. The The only answer Riku received was rejection. Mitexi's frightened eyes, her defensive body language, the tremble in her stance. He could not see her clearly, vision filtered through a black strip of fabric, the light of the sun pressing at her right side, but he knew it to be true.

He was not prepared for this.

Before he could speak again, Mitei hid her face in her hands; the action did not mask the sobs catching in her throat. Riku took a sharp breath, remembering the last time he'd heard Mitexi cry; she left the Islands six days later, washed away into the darkness.

"No," Riku exclaimed, stepping closer, "wait."

_Why couldn't you have forgotten me? _

Riku froze, his back sensitive to the sensation of another body meeting his, shoulderblades misaligned from a slight height difference. He tried to turn and catch Mitexi, not caring how she'd somehow gotten behind him; his hand only found air. Riku stumbled forward and the ground collapsed under his stop, dropping him into oblivion, even as he cried out to stay.

"W-Wait, don't move!" Mickey shouted a second time, trying to clear away the mirror shards before riku cut himself. He didn't know how his companion managed to fall asleep – or collapse – in the middle of a glass battlefield, but didn't have the time to wonder about it, not while Riku was flailing in his unconscious state. The shards were big, making the chances of damage lower, but Mickey couldn't afford the risk. Kicking a jagged sliver away, Mickey grabbed at Riku's coat and smacked his cheek. "Riku!"

"Gah!" Riku fell still, alert and awoke with the slap singing through the damp chill on his skin. "M...M..." His vision spun, blurring pinpricks of pain, darkness and King Mickey's face. He felt the fist on his coat loosen, slowly letting him support his body alone. Riku sidled into a seated position, pressing his right hand upon the floor; his fingers missed several mirror fragments but he didn't notice. He tried to concentrate on the pain of Mickey's slap...instead of the heat and sharp spikes tearing his left forearm apart.

"Riku. I'm sorry, I didn't want you to get hurt." Mickey peered hard into Riku\s eyes, unable to recall the last time the young man had left them visible. Peripheral vision treated him with the darkening mark he'd inflicted on Riku's normally pale skin, but it could not distract from the dilated panic and hurt in those eyes.

"Majesty..."

"Riku, I know you prefer taking everything on yourself, but you're really worryin' me here." Mickey pressed his stinging hand upon Riku's shoulder, trying to calmhis own nerves and the tremble in his companion's arm. "Please—"

"She wanted me to forget..." Riku could see Mickey looking back at him, but the information wouldn't register; only after an extended blink did his vision start away the miasma of memory. "Why?"

"Riku, tell me what's going on." Silence drifted between them, tempered only by the sounds of the storm beyond the apartment walls. Riku looked away, staring blindly into the darkness.

"I...I'm sorry, your Majesty..."


End file.
